Stunning news today from the Center for Biological Diversity. They recently posted that a male jaguar named Macho B had been radio collared – and now he’s dead. Think we aren’t driving wildlife species to extinction with overpopulation and incredibly STUPID conservation policies? Think again.
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.
Macho B Photo: Center for Biological Diversity
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.
s.
Filed under: conservation, endangered species Tagged: | extinction, last u.s. jaguar killed, macho b
This is really sad. I shared a link about this post on Twitter and got a few links of the Center’s case shared by someone else. Here they are:
One is a PDF Notice to Sue http://bit.ly/eToWA and
Second is a web press release http://bit.ly/19A93C
Hope they inspire you to write more.
It’s a real shame. Rest in Peace Macho B!
Fred Smilek is the acting president of the Society to Save Endangered Species. It was founded two years ago by Fred Smilek along with his two best friends Charles and Jonathan.
Thank you for sharing this important news with your followers. The loss of Macho B is a terrible setback for the jaguar population. It is even more urgent for us to secure lasting protection for the big cats and their habitat. Check out the Center’s site for more information: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org
There’s still hope for the American jaguar:
http://jaguarhabitatusa.wordpress.com