A lawsuit was filed today against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in hopes of protecting the already threatened Jaguars in the southern Arizona region. The suit was filed today by the Center for Biological Diversity in protest of a statement issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s director, H. Dale Hal in which a plan for the recovery of the jaguar population was rejected stating that such a plan “would not promote the conservation of the jaguar”. This decision was used as an approval for the construction of a border wall between Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. The wall will run in the middle of the jaguar’s territory and would negatively impact the recolonization of these majestic cats in that area.
The Center for Biological Diversity hopes that by bringing the lawsuit they will be able to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to initiate a implementable plan for the recovery of the jaguar which have been driven out of their historical ranges in other parts of the country. The legal action could also highlight a flaw in the current policies of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that allowed them to ignore the requests of many on behalf of the jaguars, including the American Society of Mammalogists and the Jaguar Conservation Team’s Scientific Advisory Group.
One of the reasons given by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for denying such requests for a recovery plan is that the jaguars range falls under the jurisdiction of Mexico. However, at least four male uniquely identifiable jaguars have been documented in the U.S. Region, particularly in southern Arizona along with many other sightings in the area.. If the Center for Biological Diversity is successful in their legal battle, not only would the jaguars benefit, but it could also lead the way to future cooperation across borders to protect endangered wildlife.
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