The dots gave him. Like human fingerprints, the rosette pattern on each jaguar is unique so the researchers knew they had a new animal on their hands after reviewing images captured by a remote camera in southern Arizona.
The University of Arizona’s Wildcat Research and Conservation Center says it is the fifth big cat in the last 15 years to be spotted in the area after crossing the US-Mexico border. The animal was caught on camera as it visited a watering hole in November, its distinctive markings setting it apart from previous sightings.
“We are very excited. This means that this fringe population of jaguars continues to come here because they are finding what they need,” said Susan Malusa, project director of the jaguar and ocelot center, during an interview Thursday.
The team is now working to collect scat samples to perform genetic analysis and determine the gender and other details about the new jaguar, including what it likes to eat. The menu can include everything from skunks and javelina to young deer.
As an indicator species, Malusa said the continued presence of big cats in the region suggests a healthy landscape but that climate change and border obstacles could threaten migratory corridors. She explained that warming temperatures and significant drought increase the urgency to ensure connectivity for jaguars with their historic range in Arizona.
More than 99% of the jaguar’s range is in Central and South America, and the few male jaguars that have been spotted in the United States are believed to have dispersed from core populations in Mexico, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Officials say jaguar breeding in the United States has not been documented in more than 100 years.
Federal biologists listed primary threats to the endangered species as habitat loss and fragmentation along with the animals being targeted for trophies and illegal trade.
The Fish and Wildlife Service issued a final rule in 2024, revising the jaguar habitat set aside in response to a legal challenge. The area has been reduced to about 1,000 square miles (2,590 square kilometers) in Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise counties of Arizona.
Recent detection data supports findings that jaguar appears every few years, Malusa said, with movement often tied to water availability. When food and water are plentiful, there is less movement.
In the case of Jaguar #5, she said it was remarkable that the cat kept returning to the area over a period of 10 days. Otherwise, she described the animals as quite elusive.
“This is the message – that this species is recovering,” said Malusa. “We want people to know this and that we still have a chance to do well and keep these corridors open.”