A Second Chance for a Timeless Species: Is it Too Late for Jaguars in the United States?
February 3rd, a conservation group by the name of “Conservation CATalyst” released a video of the only known wild jaguar in the United States, and stated that they had been tracking him for nearly three years (Bugbee, Neils, and Serraglio 2016). The video shows the muscular, bright cat, named “El Jefe” roaming around in the Santa Rita mountains, just thirty or so miles away from Tuscon, Arizona. When the video was released, it blew up, appearing on big news sources like CNN, Fox News, and ABC News. When I saw this, it caught my attention immediately. I thought jaguars only lived in South America… How could there possibly be a wild jaguar in Arizona? Historically
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Unfortunately, we are currently down to one known jaguar in Arizona. So some might ask, “If there is only one jaguar left, why try to conserve the species?” Because there is still hope. There is a small breeding population in Sonora, Mexico, and a perfect environment just miles north in Tucson, Arizona(Gutiérrez-González 2015). Seriously. The Santa Rita Mountains are prime real estate for jaguars. Hundreds of thousands of acres of untouched land and deer-abundant mountain ranges are protected by the federal government and set aside specifically for jaguar conservation (Robinson …show more content…
The US Fish and Wildlife Service doesn’t have an active plan of breeding or repopulation for the species, so this seems to be the plan. I don’t think it is a competent plan at all, however. There are a few problems with it. Although male jaguars are very adventurous and will wander for hundreds of miles, it is unlikely that the females will go very far away from Sonora. Without there being females in Tucson, we would just have a few males wandering around the Santa Rita Mountains. It’s better than just one jaguar, I suppose, but it isn’t sustainable in any way. Also, time is definitely of the essence in this situation. Jaguar populations in Mexico are decreasing slowly, and we can’t risk losing the population in Sonora. Also, with Donald Trump becoming a possible future President, a tall, impenetrable wall would make the jaguars migration into Arizona impossible. A possible option for securing our border and still letting jaguars come through would be vehicle barriers. Vehicle barriers would easily allow jaguars to get through, but it would be impossible for cars or motorcycles of any kind to get through(Beckmann 2015). The downside of this type of barrier is that it makes pedestrian passage a possibility, but if placed in very barren, empty desert land it would definitely discourage anyone from trying to get
“One key advantage to using camera traps to study wildlife is that the traps are non-invasive. This means they don't disturb or hurt the animals being studied.” (Louis 10). This form of observation keeps the animal out of captivity so the animal doesn’t even know that it is being studied. The camera traps are mounted in areas where jaguars and other wildlife are known to travel and visit.
A group of researchers collected data to support the theory that the overpopulation of snakes is killing off the mammal population. Ashley Townsend, National Geographic writes, “the python population has continued to grow at a remarkable rate and has caused great distress to the park 's ecosystem.” For this study, the researchers at the South Florida Water Management District recorded the rates of live and dead mammals during a nocturnal road survey and compared it to the 1996-1997 road surveys. Scientists for the South Florida Management District, stated, “Researchers noted that the animals in the park were dying at a greater rate since the python population has gotten so enormous.”
Native to Southeast Asia, Burmese pythons were first observed in the Florida Everglades in the 1980s. Since then, the large reptiles have been spotted in the Florida Keys, an area in which they had not previously been seen. As shown in the Everglades, the pythons can devastate native ecosystems, causing an imbalance in the natural predator-prey relationship between organisms. This is particularly troubling for the Everglades and the Keys as Burmese pythons have now assumed the spot of top predator in the region, devastating small mammal and native snake populations. It is important to address the invasion of this voracious species in the Florida Keys as well as continue eradication efforts in the Everglades before the indigenous population is completely destroyed.
The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is a federally listed endangered subspecies that is restricted to the small area of Point Arena, in coastal Mendocino County, California (Zielinski, et al., 2013). (See Figure 1). The Point Arena mountain beaver is a dark brown, medium-sized burrowing rodent with small ears and eyes, and long whiskers and claws (National Park Service (NPS), n.d.). The subspecies is semi-fossorial, spending most of its five to six year lifespan in underground burrows (United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), 2011). The burrows are typically found on moist and steep north-facing slopes or in well-drained gullies; each burrow contains separate chambers for food storage, nesting, and excrement (NPS,
Also the zoo is doing everything to preventing them from going extinct. There doing this because many of tiger species are going extinct According the article the “Caspian, and Javan tigers are all extinct. ”So the zoo would do anything to keep the animal safe.
Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated with animals but I never dreamed that I would have the opportunity to help with the conservation efforts of a unique species – the enigmatic sloth. My uncle founded the Dallas World Aquarium (DWA) 25 years ago starting with an abandoned warehouse that was built in1922. Over the years, the aquarium was expanded to include an immense rainforest that was home to animals and birds from all over the world. A major component of the mission of DWA is to work directly with these countries to implement conservation initiatives.
They also are very rare to see. As I said, they are only found in southwestern Florida areas. To see these animals would be a very rare occurrence. These species go through a lot, and have trouble being able to stay alive. One of the main problems is humans when it comes to the approach of extinction of certain animals. That is the case in this situation as well. We are the third highest reason for Florida panther’s declines. Florida panthers don’t have sufficient space in some habitats in the Florida area and end up going on the road to get hit by cars. It’s very tragic but true. Other reasons that affect these animals is also habitat loss. When construction is going on it is a huge problem for territorial panthers. This also is another lead to panthers not having a sufficient habitat. Mercury is a big problem for these species when it comes to pollution. These animals are also inept to get a disease called feline leukemia. These innocent creatures go through this on a daily basis. The fact is we have to find a way to keep these species away from harm. Wild lands are converted for cattle grazing, crop, sugar, and citrus production. This wipes out a large portion of these species. Financial weights is more conflicting to alternately poor requirement from claiming existing administrative safeguards. This pushes the destruction as opposed to protection for Florida panther inhabitants in southwest Florida.
Through the ages people have seen the rapid decline of many different species. Unfortunately due to habitat loss, hunting, and other anthropocentric reasons the loss of wildlife is a norm in the world today. The southern region of the United States is just a remnant of the beautiful landscape that used to cover the area. One species that has seen a direct negative implication of the development in this landscape is the majestic Florida Panther. This creature has been slowly decreasing ever since the first settlers in 1539 (Silverstein et al., 1997). Throughout the 1900’s people were both encouraged, and often times paid, to hunt them (Silverstein et al., 1997). The panther is still in danger today due to the destruction of their habitat with
This Habitat Consevation Area of over 8,000 acres is home to the San Joaquin kit fox, Blunt-nosed leopard lizard, Giant kangaroo rat, Tipton kangaroo rat, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, Western burrowing owl and several native plant species which they are committed to protecting. (Corporation, 2016)
Humans have caused another extinction, one that could possibly take us down in the process, species are exponentially going extinct because of habitat loss, species exportation, and invasive species bullying native species. On the other hand, scientists are trying to safe guard native species, keep animals in captivity whether it be for the animals well-being or for research, and widespread invasion. In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting “What Everglades Pythons and Other Invasive Species are Trying to Tell Us,” by Julia Whitty and “The Sixth Extinction,” by Jeff Corwin.
The world’s fastest land animal could be sprinting toward extinction, a study reports Monday (Rice, Doyle,1 ). Cheetahs are amazing cats that will soon be lost forever, if people don't learn how to protect them, and their home environments from destruction. The grasslands that these cheetahs call their home is continued to be taken away from them. As if that isn't bad enough, there are also poachers who are constantly killing these cheetahs so they can make profit off of their coats. Study’s authors are currently urging scientist to re-categorized cheetahs as”endangered’ instead of their current status as “vulnerable” on the list of threatened species (Cable News Network,1).
One strategy currently active is a program put into practice by the World Wildlife Fund which allows people to sponsor injured sea turtles. This program is a very simple way for the general public to get involved, as each donation of $25 funds the rehabilitation of one injured turtle. Once the turtles have completed rehabilitation, they are released back into the oceans. (Leatherback turtle, n.d.)
Animals who’s species is close to extinction should be kept in modern day zoos or nature reserves. People have tried to protect animals from extinction by establishing nature parks and sanctuaries. It is against the law to hunt or build in these areas, and there are rangers who watch over the animals. Often times, the public is allowed to drive through these areas and enjoy the wildlife in a wide-open atmosphere. Although many times animals can’t chose their own mate in these habitats, as they can in the wild, they do provide them with a mate. So this means that nature parks and sanctuaries do help some animals get out of endangerment.
Mexico’s wildlife is very important because of its diverse biodiversity of endemic plants and animals, migrating North American birds, and being a transition zone between New World temperate and tropical regions. The fact that wildlife was not a viable economic resource and had national social and economic pressure there was little effort put forth to manage the wildlife. In only the last thirty years was the wildlife had any laws or help in being protected such as game animal laws and international agreements. Throughout three modern eras, such as 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Mexico tried to improve those laws, but wildlife was not considered a wildlife priority because of little economic resource, intuitional capacity, and lack of trained personal. Not only is Mexico’s wildlife not a priority but they face deforestation, growing human population, overgrazing and tearing down for livestock, population, illegal trade of plants and animals, and drainage of wetlands.
Humans are constantly destroying natural habitats, and a handful of animals are becoming endangered due to the loss of their natural habitat. The rearing of these animals in a zoo ensures the survival of their kind in the Earth. In Borneo, 1.23 million hectares of forests was cleared in a 3-year span. As such, the Wehea Forest became protected and offered 19 mammals species, 114 birds species, 12 rodents species, 9 primates species, and 59 invaluable types of plants a home to live in. As of 2012, about 750 Orang-utans depend on the Wehea Forest for survival. (Ettinger) This startling information reveals that many animals are in danger of losing their homes, so zoos and conservatories need to offer refuge to animals that have lost their home. Some zoos carry out wildlife rehabilitation programmes, where injured or homeless animals are treated and cared for during their infancy in a number of cases. Two Orang-utans from The Perth Zoo were released into a protected Sumatran rainforest as part of a rehabilitation program to help build a population of this endangered species. (Shepparton News) Besides rehabilitation, breeding programmes carried out by zoos help increase the population of the animals. In the wild, individuals might have trouble finding mates and breeding. Introducing animals to one another in captivity encourages mating. Wildlife Reserves Singapore, known as the WRS, bred 400 animals in their 4 parks within an eight-month timespan in 2013, one of which included Asia’s first Giant River Otter baby. Giant Otters are extremely rare as they are victims of poaching and habitat loss. This success in breeding a Giant Otter is an affirmation to the public that zoos and conservatory organisations are doing their best to preserve wildlife. Also, the careful selection of mates prevents inbreeding, whereby the offspring