U.S., Mexico wildlife officials draft jaguar recovery plan

A team of wildlife officials in the United States and Mexico on Monday released details of a proposed recovery plan for the endangered jaguar, prompting criticism from environmental groups who say more needs to be done to restore a breeding population of the elusive cats north of the border. While jaguars are found in 19 countries stretching from the American Southwest to South America, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday that the focus is on efforts in northern Mexico and the U.S. As part of the proposal, scientists are not prescribing jaguar reintroductions in the U.S. They’re focused instead on efforts to sustain habitat, eliminate poaching and improve social acceptance of the animal to accommodate jaguars that disperse into the U.S. so they can survive and multiply. Federal officials are seeking comments on the proposal and any additional information that could help shape a final version of the plan. Since 1996, as many as seven jaguars have been documented in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Federal officials say these jaguars are believed to be coming from a breeding population centered about 130 miles south of the U.S. border in the Mexican state of Sonora...more