""We're very excited. It signifies this edge population of jaguars continues to come here because they're finding what they need," Susan Malusa, director of the center's jaguar and ocelot project, said during an interview Thursday. The team is now working to collect scat samples to conduct genetic analysis and determine the sex and other details about the new jaguar, including what it likes to eat. The menu can include everything from skunks and javelina to small deer."
"She explained that warming temperatures and significant drought increase the urgency to ensure connectivity for jaguars with their historic range in Arizona. More than 99% of the jaguar's range is found in Central and South America, and the few male jaguars that have been spotted in the U.S. are believed to have dispersed from core populations in Mexico, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."
A spotted jaguar with a unique rosette pattern was captured by a remote camera at a southern Arizona watering hole in November 2025. The University of Arizona center identified it as the fifth big cat seen in the area after crossing from Mexico over the past 15 years. Researchers are collecting scat for genetic analysis to determine sex and diet, which may include skunks, javelina and small deer. Presence of jaguars indicates a functioning landscape, but climate change and border barriers threaten migratory corridors. More than 99% of the species' range is in Central and South America; no U.S. breeding has been documented in over 100 years.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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