The New Huntmastersbbs!: Arizona Game and Fish collars first wild jaguar

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Topic: Arizona Game and Fish collars first wild jaguar

Tim Behle
Administrator MacNeal Sector
Member # 209

posted February 21, 2009 05:48 AM

Arizona Game and Fish collars first wild jaguar in United States

Feb. 20, 2009

Jaguar conservation has just experienced an exciting development with the first capture and collaring of a wild jaguar in the United States.

The male cat was incidentally captured by the Arizona Game and Fish Department on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in an area southwest of Tucson during a research study aimed at monitoring habitat connectivity for mountain lions and black bears. While individual jaguars have been photographed sporadically in the borderland area of the state over the past years, the area where this animal was captured was outside of the area where the last known jaguar photograph was taken in January.

The jaguar was fitted with a satellite tracking collar and then released. The collar will provide biologists with location points every three hours. Early tracking indicates that the cat is doing well and has already travelled more than three miles from the capture site.

The data produced by the collar will shed light on a little-studied population segment of this species that uses southern Arizona and New Mexico as the northern extent of its range.

“While we didn’t set out to collar a jaguar as part of the mountain lion and bear research project, we took advantage of an important opportunity,” says Terry Johnson, endangered species coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “More than 10 years ago, Game and Fish attempted to collar a jaguar with no success. Since then, we’ve established handling protocols in case we inadvertently captured a jaguar in the course of one of our other wildlife management activities.”

The jaguar plan, which was created in consultation with other leading jaguar experts, includes a protocol for capture, sedation and handling in the event a cat was captured.

Biologists are currently working on an identification analysis to determine if the collared jaguar is Macho B, a male cat that has been photographed by trail cameras periodically over the past 13 years.

The collared jaguar weighed in at 118 pounds with a thick and solid build. Field biologists’ assessment shows the cat appeared to be healthy and hardy.

The species has been protected outside of the United States under the Endangered Species Act since 1973. That protection was extended to jaguars within the U.S. in 1997, the year after their presence in the Arizona and New Mexico borderlands was confirmed.

"We issued a permit under the Endangered Species Act to radio collar a jaguar if the opportunity presented itself," said Steve Spangle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Arizona field supervisor. "Gathering habitat use information and learning whether and how the cat is moving in and out of the United States may be essential to jaguar conservation at the northern edge of their range."

In 1997, a team was established in Arizona and New Mexico to protect and conserve the species. The Jaguar Conservation Team (JCT) began working with Mexico two years later, recognizing that the presence of jaguars in the United States depends on the conservation of the species in Mexico.

Trail cameras and field monitoring are carried out by the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project, a group that works in cooperation with the JCT.

Jaguars once ranged from southern South America through Central America and Mexico and into the southern United States. By the late 1900s, jaguars were thought to be gone from the U.S. landscape, but two independent sightings in 1996 confirmed that jaguars still used Arizona and New Mexico as part of the northern most extent of its range.

Jaguars are the only cat in North America that roars. They prey on a variety of mammals, fish, birds and reptiles. Individuals in the northern population weigh between 80-120 pounds. Females breed year-round and have litters of one to four cubs that stay with their mother for nearly two years.

This conservation effort is funded in part by the Heritage Fund and ****** gaming revenue. Started in 1990, the Heritage Fund was established by Arizona voters to further conservation efforts in the state including protecting endangered species, educating our children about wildlife, helping urban residents to better coexist with wildlife and creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation. Funding comes from Arizona Lottery ticket sales.

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Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take
an ass kickin'.

Posts: 3160 | From: Five Miles East of Vic, AZ | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged

Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2

posted February 21, 2009 08:57 AM

If I were looking for a jaguar, that's exactly where I'd look. [Smile]

I mean, it's nice to know they might be around, but they are far more dangerous than lions. A healthy population exists from Mexico all the way into South America. I don't see why their survival is dependant on being protected in the U.S.? Call me a Neanderthal but I don't see anything wrong with killing them? I think one was killed around Palm Springs in the '30s? and they haven't caused any trouble since!

Interesting post, Tim. Thanks.

Good hunting. LB

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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!

Posts: 32361 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003 | IP: Logged

Bluetrapper
Knows what it's all about
Member # 288

posted February 21, 2009 11:31 AM

I have a friend in Costa Rica that raises cattle in the north part of the country.He talks of seeing them.I hear they are very elusive.Has any one tried calling them?

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M.J.D.

Posts: 21 | From: Iowa | Registered: Jan 2004 | IP: Logged

onecoyote
Knows what it's all about
Member # 129

posted February 21, 2009 05:03 PM

That's some very interesting information Tim, thanks for posting it.
Leonard, I saw a jaguar in a museum someplace down by Palm Springs years ago. I remember it stated it was the last one killed in California.
Most people don't even have a clue jaguars lived in California.
Bluetrapper, I think Leonard and I may have called one, but we were sure not trying to lol. Good hunting

[ February 21, 2009, 05:06 PM: Message edited by: onecoyote ]

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Great minds discuss ideas.....Average minds discuss events.....Small minds discuss people.....Eleanor Roosevelt.

Posts: 893 | From: Walker Lake Nevada. | Registered: Feb 2003 | IP: Logged

Az-Hunter
Hi, I'm Vic WELCOME TO THE U.S. Free baloney sandwiches here
Member # 17

posted February 21, 2009 06:09 PM

They should have hauled it back to the fence, tossed it over,and closed the gate to keep any of the other very rare transients from coming over here any longer. The more this jag shit keeps getting talked about, the better the chances are we will see some great hunting areas closed to hunting to protect the habitat that this non-indeginous south ameican aquatic feline, sometimes wanders into.

Posts: 1670 | From: 5 miles west of Tim | Registered: Jan 2003 | IP: Logged

Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2

posted February 22, 2009 09:50 AM

I can just see you helping boost the kitty over the fence......

Thanks for being a perfect host and showing me all your secret honey holes. I tried to repay you in a small way by showing you how to pour coffee without dribbling it on the counter top. With a little practice, a little dexterity, and an open mind, there is no limit to what you can accomplish.

Good hunting. LB [Smile]

PS
BTW, you left some reading material in my truck, I keep forgetting to mail it to you.

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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!

Posts: 32361 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003 | IP: Logged

Tim Behle
Administrator MacNeal Sector
Member # 209

posted February 23, 2009 08:03 PM

Them things are pretty heavy, wouldn't it be easier to let the worms carry them under the fence?

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Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take
an ass kickin'.

Posts: 3160 | From: Five Miles East of Vic, AZ | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged

Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2

posted March 04, 2009 11:00 AM

A moment of silence, please. (they meant well)

U.S. Biologists Euthanize Wild Arizona Jaguar
Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Print ShareThisTUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona biologists have had to euthanize a jaguar they had outfitted with a tracking collar less than two weeks earlier in the hopes of uncovering the elusive big cat's secrets

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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!

Posts: 32361 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003 | IP: Logged

JeremyKS
Knows what it's all about
Member # 736

posted March 04, 2009 05:12 PM

Collared Arizona jaguar euthanized

News Media
Mar 2, 2009

A collared jaguar from southern Arizona that was recaptured today for medical intervention has been euthanized after veterinarians determined the cat was in severe and unrecoverable kidney failure.

The decision was made in consultations between the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Phoenix Zoo.

The jaguar was brought to the Phoenix Zoo earlier today after a team from the department recaptured it. Zoo veterinarians conducted lab work and physical exams to evaluate the animal and discover the source of the cat’s deteriorating condition.

While early data indicated that the animal was doing well in the days following the capture and collaring, careful monitoring of recent data revealed a decreased level of activity over the weekend that warranted further investigation.

“This is an unfortunate and disappointing situation,” said Gary Hovatter, deputy director of the Arizona Gama and Fish Department. “We were looking forward to using the data acquired from Macho B to learn more about the species use of the borderland habitats in order to further conserve the species as a whole.”

Macho B was believed to be the oldest known jaguar in the wild. His age was estimated at two to three years old in photographs taken in 1996, making him 15-16 years old now. Previously the oldest known jaguar in the wild was 13 years old.

Kidney failure is a common ailment in older cats.

“It is a sad, but appropriate course of action to euthanize this animal given the hopelessly terminal nature of his condition,” said Steve Spangle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arizona field supervisor.

A necropsy will be performed to learn more about the jaguar’s condition and to possibly provide clues into how long the animal had been sick.

The jaguar’s initial capture was guided by protocols developed in case a jaguar was inadvertently captured in the course of other wildlife management activities. The plan, which was created in consultation with leading jaguar experts, includes a protocol for capture, sedation and handling.

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A day or two earlier they said this:

Collared Arizona jaguar recaptured for medical intervention

News Media
Mar 2, 2009

A collared jaguar from southern Arizona was recaptured today and transported to the Phoenix Zoo for medical attention after wildlife officials concluded the health of the animal may be in jeopardy.

A field team consisting of Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists and a wildlife veterinarian was deployed on Sunday to locate the jaguar to assess its overall condition.

Early data transmitted in the days following the capture and collaring of Macho B indicated that the animal was doing well, travelling more than three miles after being released. However, careful monitoring of recent data revealed a reduced pattern of movement and foraging over the past three days.

A capture was attempted unsuccessfully on Sunday, but a second attempt today was successful. The jaguar is being moved to the Phoenix Zoo for further assessment.

Recapturing the jaguar was required to better evaluate his condition and health. When the team observed the cat in the field, it was noted that the animal had experienced weight loss and was exhibiting an abnormal gait, so intervention was deemed necessary. Initial physical assessment showed the cat had normal vital signs.

“We have been monitoring Macho B’s movements continuously since the initial capture. While he was still moving around, we noticed a decreased level of activity over the weekend that warranted further investigation,” said Bill Van Pelt, the Arizona Gama and Fish Department birds and mammals program manager and a member of the Jaguar Conservation Team. “We had a rare opportunity to collect priceless data on a species we know little about when we incidentally captured Macho B during the course of a research study on black bears and mountain lions. Now it is incumbent upon us to do all we can to aid this animal.”

Biologists have been concerned with Macho B’s age. He is believed to be the oldest known jaguar in the wild. His age was estimated at two to three years old in photographs taken in 1996, making him 15-16 years old now. Previously the oldest known jaguar in the wild was 13 years old.

“We staunchly support the initial capture of the jaguar and the responsible efforts to closely monitor the condition of the animal and intervene as needed,” said Steve Spangle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arizona field supervisor.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Phoenix Zoo have been integral partners in providing technical assistance and support during and after the recapture.

The field team used the GPS location points provided every three hours to track the animal. At less than two pounds, Macho B’s collar is less than two percent of his body weight, and it should not impede his normal movements and ability to catch prey.

The jaguar’s initial capture was guided by protocols developed in case a jaguar was inadvertently captured in the course of other wildlife management activities. The plan, which was created in consultation with leading jaguar experts, includes a protocol for capture, sedation and handling.

Black bear and mountain lion trapping had been occurring in the area where the jaguar was initially trapped since the summer of 2007 without a jaguar being trapped.

The species has been listed outside of the United States under the Endangered Species Act since 1973. That protection was extended to jaguars within the U.S. in 1997, the year after their presence in the Arizona and New Mexico borderlands was confirmed.

In 1997, the Jaguar Conservation Team was established in Arizona and New Mexico to protect and conserve the species.

Posts: 369 | From: Texas panhandle | Registered: Nov 2005 | IP: Logged

Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2

posted March 04, 2009 06:43 PM

Yes, thanks, Jeremy. I guess they couldn't just leave him alone, had to "help" by darting him a couple times, and unsuccessfully chasing him a third time (stressing him needlessly) finally, by euthanizing the animal.

spin control:

quote:
“It is a sad, but appropriate course of action to euthanize this animal given the hopelessly terminal nature of his condition,” said Steve Spangle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arizona field supervisor.

Good hunting. LB

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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!

Posts: 32361 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003 | IP: Logged

Jrbhunter
PAYS ATTENsION TO deTAIL
Member # 459

posted March 04, 2009 07:26 PM

Anybody know which organs fail when an animal is over-exposed to Xylazine (aka Rompum)?