The jaguar’s Spanish names translates to “The Boss.”
Video footage of the only known wild jaguar in the U.S. was released Wednesday, showing the large cat roaming in wooded areas near Tucson, Arizona.
Center for Biological Diversity / Via Facebook: CenterforBioDiv
The roughly 7-year-old animal is an extremely rare track for researchers.
While El Jefe is one of only four or five jaguars that have been spotted in the U.S. over the last 20 years, he is the only one to actually be documented, according to the Center for Biodiversity, which released the footage.
Researchers used a specially trained scat detection dog in their effort to catch El Jefe on video, spending three years tracking the big cat in rugged mountains, collecting data, and refining camera sites.
"Studying these elusive cats anywhere is extremely difficult, but following the only known individual in the U.S. is especially challenging," Chris Bugbee, a biologist with Conservation CATalys, which works with the center on the project, said in a statement.
Center for Biological Diversity / Via Facebook: CenterforBioDiv
A Canadian mining company is pushing to develop a massive open-pit copper mine in the heart of El Jefe's territory, and destroy thousands of acres of federally protected jaguar habitat in the process, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
Researchers have been able to determine that El Jefe is currently an adult male jaguar and in prime condition.
"These glimpses into his behavior offer the keys to unlocking the mysteries of these cryptic cats," said Aletris Neils, executive director of Conservation CATalyst. "Every new piece of information is important for conserving northern jaguars and we look forward to building upon on these data so that we can collectively make better decisions on how to manage these fascinating and endangered cats."
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1R3hnMf
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