Last U.S Jaguar Killed Yesterday‏

Breaking News: State Euthanizes Aging Jaguar After Capture

Macho B was trapped and collared in February and euthanized Monday night after suffering from kidney failure.

Dear T. Scott,

In deeply sad news, the first wild jaguar to be captured and fitted with a radio-collar in the United States -- and the only jaguar known to be living here -- was euthanized in Phoenix, AZ Monday night. The jaguar, "Macho B" was accidentally captured in an Arizona Game and Fish Department trap on February 18th and was recaptured and euthanized Monday after he was found to be suffering from kidney failure.

This is a terrible setback for the fragile population of northern jaguars that once ranged from the Bay Area of California to the Appalachian Mountains and now are so rare that only four have been photographed in the U.S. since 1996. Macho B was the oldest known jaguar in the wild, at an estimated 15 to 16 years.

It is unclear whether the stress from the repeated captures and sedation caused the weak kidney to fail. The Center for Biological Diversity is keeping a close eye on the post-mortem investigation to determine what caused the jaguar's death.

The Center has been protecting the jaguar for nearly 15 years, and the emotional and scientific loss of this one-of-a-kind animal, Macho B, comes just weeks before the Center will be arguing its jaguar case in federal district court in Tucson, AZ. The case is against a Bush-era U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refusal to develop a recovery plan and designate critical habitat for the jaguar.

The death of Macho B is a significant blow to the recovery of the jaguar, but the Center will continue to work to secure long-term science-based protections for this magnificent endangered big cat. Our current court case seeks a recovery plan that would lay out the least intrusive means of getting information needed for jaguar recovery, and the means to increase and protect the population. With your support, our vigilant efforts will provide essential safeguards for the jaguar and its habitat.

I will be in touch later this month when we argue our jaguar case on March 23rd.

For the jaguar,

Kierán Suckling Executive Director Center for Biological Diversity

P.S. For more information on this breaking story, here's an excerpt from The Arizona Republic:

Illness forced vets to euthanize recaptured jaguar
by Heather Hock
The Arizona Republic

Jaguars are protected as an endangered species but on Monday night one of the rare felines was euthanized after being captured, released and recaptured by state authorities.

The roughly about 16-year-old jaguar was put down because of failing kidneys...

The jaguar gained attention when it was found Feb. 18, caught in a snare the game and fish department had set to catch cougars and black bears as part of research.

The jaguar was collared with a tracking device and released near Tucson, offering much hope to researchers about the insight they might gain into the feeding and movement habits of the rare species of cat.

But officials became worried when the jaguar stopped moving as much, had an abnormal gait and lost weight…

This particular jaguar was the only one spotted in the U.S. in more than a decade.

"I'm saddened by the death," said Michael Robinson, a conservation advocate with the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity. He called the death a blow to the recovery of jaguars...

Robinson's group fought to get the jaguars on the list of endangered species in 1997 and is fighting in federal court for a recovery plan for jaguars..

Read the full story here.