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15 August 2022
One of the most extraordinary things about Arizona is its remarkable biodiversity. The Sonoran Desert is home to nearly 3,500 plant species, 500 bird species, and 1,000 bee species. As a result of the state’s elevation difference of 12,563 feet, Arizona has an incredibly diverse ecological environment. One more notable species is the North American jaguar El Jefe, or “The Boss.”
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El Jefe was photographed in the Whetstone Mountains in 2011 by Donnie Fenn and his 10-year-old daughter, who were out hunting with their hunting dogs who chased El Jefe up a tree. Fenn took photographs of the jaguar and contacted state wildlife officials later.
El Jefe was a miraculous find — he represented the only verified jaguar living in the United States, where they once ranged throughout the southwest.
Jaguars historically thrived in western Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Jaguars, however, have been confined to southern parts of these states since the 1940s. Because of their march towards extinction, Defenders of Wildlife sued the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2010 to recover jaguars and designate “Critical Habitat.” In the United States, Fish and Wildlife Service has designated the Santa Rita mountains as critical habitat for species recovery.
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Spottings of El Jefe went dark in 2015, but last year he was spotted in Sonora, Mexico, researchers confirmed recently, reviving hopes that the species can evade the border wall that bisects its habitat.
El Jefe’s disappearance remains a mystery, primarily since it occurred around the time Donald Trump began building his border wall. Conservationists immediately opposed the border wall, claiming the wall threatened myriad species like Mexican wolves, bison, and ocelots, including endangered jaguars like El Jefe.
To help save the jaguar, you can donate to Greatergood.org or sign up for alerts at Defenders of Wildlife.
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