JAGUAR PICTURE: First Caught in U.S.

[Adsos Letter]

Source: National Geographic News

February 25, 2009—The Wild West is wild again.

For the first time in more than a century, a jaguar was caught and collared in the U.S.

The big cats have been photographed near the Arizona-Mexico border for years, but the newly captured specimen was found outside of its usual range, southwest of Tucson. (See an Arizona map.)

The Arizona Game and Fish Department spotted the 118-pound (54-kilogram) male during a research study of mountain lion and black bear habitat. It was later confirmed to be Macho B, an animal that has been photographed since 1996 and could be between 14 to 16 years old—making it the oldest jaguar ever collared.

The animal was released wearing a satellite-tracking collar, which will give biologists new insight into the little-studied population of northern jaguars.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090225-jaguar-picture.html

This cat is a beauty!

[emilyg]

1. Gorgeous, regal cat.

[Emit]

2. Yes he is!

Beautiful, and encouraging story.

I was checking out Ntl Geo's site earlier with my kids and and we saw this. Check it out:


http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090226-giant-stringray-picture-missions.html

[Adsos Letter]

3. Isn't that amazing! Imagine having that swim by you in the water...

:scared:

[Emit]

4. Seriously!

Thanks for the interesting posts - lots of beauty in the world (just checked out the grains of sand post, too).

[Joe the Liberal]

5. Wow, what is that?.......

a stingray? I would be terrified if I was out in the ocean swimming and that came up and started swimming right by me. :scared:

[Divine Discontent]

10. LOL.. love your response... yes, they're quite a site in the ocean along the beach...

they are a dark shadow that slowly moves towards you - it's kinda unnerving until you realize it's not a shark! LOL

[keopeli]

14. I've swum with sharks (is swum a word?) and had no fear at all. THAT would make me pee my pants! nt

[Divine Discontent]

32. it's a word if we say it's a word! so it's a word! and I realize your fear is founded in fact of

course. they're not exactly without the threat of injury or death as we found out a couple years ago...

[keopeli]

13. Ahhhhhh!!!!! That picture scares me to death!!!

I love animals but want to be nowhere near a stingray! I've had many unpleasant experiences with the creature. Fantastic photo. Thanks!

[Emit]

29. It's huge!

I just can't imagine coming into contact with one that big.

[Aviation Pro]

19. That is a seriously big ray.....

....thank goodness they're mostly harmless (unless you startle one in shallow water).

[dorkulon]

6. I really hate those collars.

Isn't there a less obtrusive way to monitor them? You can't tell me that thing doesn't bother the cat.

[Adsos Letter]

8. You would think that with the state of tech today....

they could implant some kind of microchip device. I mean, they must have to knock the cat out to get that collar on 'em.

:shrug:

[hyphenate]

15. I don't know if it's the same situation

but I know that on some of the many variety of animals being monitored with collar type transmitters, they only work for a certain length of time due to batteries in them, and I believe, though don't quote me, they will fall off at a time when the batteries are believed to be dead. I don't know where I read that, but it was a while ago, and I can't be sure if my memory serves me correctly on it. I DO know that most of the collars are similar to those often put on cats and dogs, whereas if it is caught somehow or entangled, it will break rather than strangle the animal.

One of the animals currently in danger of extinction in the U.S. is the Florida panther. If they can't bring up the population soon, it will disappear permanently.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_panther

[sohndrsmith]

16. I know what you mean - and agree... but if it means saving the

cats or even (gasp!) increasing their numbers - I can overlook the aesthetic insult. I imagine the collars have to be sturdy enough to not be pawed off by the cat, and big enough to hold some sort of battery/device? Thus: they're clunky and ugly. Better that than have no cats in their natural habitat at all...

Not sure I'd want to go hiking in that area if they really start to reproduce... 2 years ago I was out hiking with a friend just north of Phoenix, and he casually said, "oh, this is where they spotted a mountain lion about 6 months ago!" I started looking for tracks on my way back to the car. Yes, I'm a wimp. There are BEARS now in the woods where I grew up, and that's a new phenomenon as well... I s'pose I could carry a shotgun when I walk out behind the house but I've never shot anything but targets and tin cans and I don't think it would do me much good (unless I used it for noise value - which is what I'd probably do). It's nice to see the bald eagles coming back, too, but they don't make me feel quite so vulnerable... : ).

[dorkulon]

18. I understand their purpose, but

I imagine it could be done with something smaller and less uncomfortable for the animals. The feeling of having that big clunky thing around its neck has got to be somewhat distressing for the cat.

BTW, attacks on humans are exceedingly rare.

[geek tragedy]

27. Jaguars avoid people at all costs.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists go into prime jaguar territory hoping to see one. They never do.

[JTFrog]

23. I have to agree.

I understand what they are doing and maybe it's just my gut reaction to how I'd feel about it being done to me, but I really wish they'd find a better way.

[Thickasabrick]

25. Maybe because it's so big some stupid hunter won't shoot it. I'm

trying to find a bright side?

[Garbo 2004]

7. Beautiful cat! Thanks for posting. n/t

[bertman]

9. That jaguar is a magnificent animal. And they are some bad mambajambas.

The top-line predator in South and Central America, and now southern North America--aside, of course, from homo sapiens. I've had the privilege of working in close proximity to a couple of jaguars. Their grace, speed, and ferocity are something to behold.

[Hekate]

11. About that Mesquite Curtain that Homeland Security is building....

"The sighting also stresses the importance of keeping habitat between the U.S. and Mexico unhindered, so that the big cats can roam freely, Beckmann added."

Point taken.

Hekate

[keopeli]

12. Here's the photo:

[MichaelHarris]

17. Damn, that's cool

let's shoot it!




OK, you know I'm kidding.

[silverojo]

20. Big cats are so gorgeous

Great news that this jaguar is healthy and thriving. :)

[girl gone mad]

21. "The sighting also stresses the importance of keeping habitat between the U.S. and Mexico unhindered

In other words, NO BORDER "FENCE".

As if we needed another reason to stop that idiocy.

[MiniMe]

22. Pic

[Liberal_in_LA]

24. That big effing collar messes up it's looks. So I guess a Jaguar is different from a couger?

[lonestarnot]

26. woah beautius!

:wow: Poor thing hope that collar doesn't get hung up in anything.

[Roadless]

28. amazing!

Thanks for posting.

[ellie]

30. Kitteh!

Beautiful!

[malaise]

31. Lots of jaguars in Guyana and Central America

My favorite is the black jaguar.