In 2025, University of Arizona researchers got their first glimpse of “Cinco,” an adult male jaguar roaming the Southern Arizona Sky Islands.
Since then, researchers say the cat has made about 20 appearances on remote wildlife cameras — including three recent cameos this spring.
This week, the Center for Biological Diversity released new footage of Cinco traipsing through a mountain range south of Tucson. The footage was captured in March and April, the organization said.
“Seeing this incredible jaguar roaming in Arizona’s wild sky islands is a powerful reminder that these cats belong in the American Southwest and northern Mexico,” Russ McSpadden, the Center’s southwest conservation advocate, said in a statement Tuesday.
The endangered jaguar remains rare in Arizona. Since 2011, UA’s Wild Cat Research & Conservation Center has detected five different jaguars throughout the region — all males. Last year, the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation passed a resolution recognizing the jaguar as sacred and calling for the species’ reintroduction to the region.
“Jaguars are protectors of the people and are a part of our spiritual life and our connection to this land,” San Xavier District Chairman Austin Nunez said in a statement Tuesday.
Border wall construction continues##
The new footage of Cinco comes as border wall construction continues in Arizona, including plans for a double border wall along most of the state’s southern border. Conservation advocates have long voiced concerns over border wall construction, citing its effect on jaguars and other endangered species. Speaking with AZPM last month, McSpadden said a secondary border wall would compound existing disturbances to those habitats.
“I personally think it's extremely outlandish and incredibly wasteful. And, you know, it's just going to double down on the damage that the first wall has already caused,” he said.
The Trump administration has defended its decision to continue border wall construction. In a statement to AZPM last month, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said a double barrier “provides agents with a secure space to respond to illegal activity and deploy advanced technology.”
“Border walls and supporting infrastructure are a critical investment in national security,” the spokesperson added.
