The University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center had not detected a jaguar in the state for a year and a half. But that dry spell has now ended.
An elusive male jaguar has been spotted five times by researchers this summer in southern Arizona. The rare sightings come amid concerns about border barriers and mining activity threatening the jaguars’ international ecosystem.
The UA project involves volunteers who receive training at the university and collect data. This data is uploaded and later analyzed to learn more about the species, including their habitats and environmental DNA.
University of Arizona researcher Susan Malusa says over 200 detections have been made since the project began in 2011.
Malusa says the center’s work will contribute to management and conservation of endangered species.
