I baited jaguar trap, research worker says

[Ptah]

Source: Arizona Daily Star By Tony Davis and Tim Steller

A trap the state says inadvertently snared the last known
wild jaguar in the United States actually was baited with
female jaguar scat, a member of the Borderlands Jaguar
Detection Project says.

Janay Brun told the Star that on Feb. 4 she put the scat
at the site of the trap that two weeks later snared the
male jaguar, known as Macho B. He was released but recaptured
12 days later, on March 2, because he showed signs of poor health.
He was euthanized that afternoon.

Brun, 37, said she spoke to the Star because she thinks she
helped cause the death of Macho B. "That jaguar meant a lot to me,
and the fact that I mindlessly participated in this —
it's a regret I'll have for the rest of my life."

She said she put the scat out in the presence of a state
Game and Fish employee and Emil McCain, a biologist for the project.
Brun alleges that McCain told her to place the scat at the site.

Read more: http://www.azstarnet.com/news/287095

[dysfunctional press]

1. that's too bad...but if he WAS the last one- he was going to go sometime...

i feel for that woman- i hope that she lets herself get past it.

[Bette Noir]

2. The last one *known* in the US.

He could have found a mate across the border, if the border were open. He may have been euthanized in order to remove a legal barrier (endangered species act) to building the border fence.

Republicans. They don't like Mexicans, so they kill jaguars? I'd say what I think, but it's probably contrary to board rules.

[dysfunctional press]

3. that's why i said "if".

[Kali]

6. the fence project - all "homeland security" activities, in fact are exempt from environmental regs

the border is pretty goddamned open out in the sticks, don't worry

he was old and in poor health - save your tinfoil for real conspiracy

[The Second Stone]

7. I hadn't thought of that

Yes, that's why he was killed. What a corrupt country this is.

[Ptah]

11. Are you serious?

:shrug:

[Ptah]

10. I'm not convinced you read the article.

:thumbsdown:

[harmonicon]

4. sad

Jaguars are awesome - I'm so glad that we have them in the US. No way do I buy that this was the last one though - there have been too many sightings over too many years for that to be the case (still very few though). Just another reason that border fences are a very very bad idea.

[Ian David]

5. Once again, it's all McCain's fault.

Emil McCain's fault, anyway.

[slackmaster]

8. That was not the first "last known jaguar in the US" and probably won't be the last one

They were believed to be extinct (and probably were) for a long time before recent sightings.

[Jack_DeLeon]

9. More Jaguars on the border would be good for cutting down on illegal border crossing...

atleast during night time.

[Ptah]

12. Feds launch criminal probe of jaguar death

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/113580.php

Questions abound about his capture and treatment

The curious case of Macho B, the jaguar captured in southern Arizona, has quickly descended into finger pointing and official investigations.

There are questions about whether the jaguar was euthanized too quickly, as well as accusations he was captured on purpose, not accidentally, as the Arizona Game & Fish Department has stated.

On Thursday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said its law-enforcement division had begun a criminal investigation into all aspects of the capture and death of the animal.

It began its investigation after a request from U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva and because Game & Fish asked for an outside agency to look into what happened.