ENDANGERED: Jaguar habitat appeal

This appeal for help in assisting the survival of jaguars in the US was sent to Richard Freeman at the weekend, but you'll see the deadline is today - so time is of the essence, if you want to do your bit.

*Please take action by Monday, March 15*

After a decade-long fight for the survival of jaguars in the United States, the Center for Biological Diversity won a court ruling last year to protect North America's largest native big cat. Now, in response to the Center's extensive litigation, the Fish and Wildlife Service has announced it will designate critical habitat for the jaguar. This is excellent news for the endangered big cat -- but the question of where the jaguar's critical habitat will be located remains unanswered.

The Center is proposing the Sky Islands and Gila headwaters/Mogollon Rim regions of Arizona and New Mexico be designated as jaguar critical habitat vital to the recovery of the species. Parts of southeastern New Mexico, West Texas, and Southern California should also be included in the designation.

Please submit comments in support of the Center's proposal to designate critical habitat for the endangered jaguar by Monday, March 15. Your email, with personal touches added to reflect specific places you want to highlight, will help convince the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take a "can-do" attitude toward conserving the lands necessary for jaguar recovery in the United States.



Click here to find out more and take action.


If you have trouble following the link, go to http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2568.

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Sample letter:

Subject: Jaguar Critical Habitat

Please designate critical habitat for jaguars throughout the entirety of the Sky Islands and the Gila/Mogollon Rim regions of Arizona and New Mexico.

I also support critical habitat for jaguars in portions of other regions such as southeastern New Mexico, West Texas, and Southern California.

The Sky Islands ecosystem consists of isolated mountain ranges that have long been inhabited by jaguars. As recently as last March, jaguar "Macho B" was known to live and roam in the Pajarito, Atascosa, Tumacacori, and Baboquivari Mountains. Other jaguars have been confirmed in the Chiricahua, Peloncillo, and Animas Mountains. These and other sky islands, along with the desert lands between them, have been identified by the Jaguar Conservation Team as potential jaguar habitat, providing habitat for jaguar prey such as deer and javelina.

Please also designate the Gila National Forest in New Mexico and the Mogollon Rim in Arizona, along with adjoining lands, as critical habitat. These uplands with vast coniferous forests supporting deer, elk, and javelina were home to the last known female jaguar and possible jaguar reproduction up till the 1960s. The Gila and Mogollon Rim were also identified as potential jaguar habitat by the Jaguar Conservation Team.

Other undeveloped areas in southeastern New Mexico, West Texas, and Southern California should also be designated as critical habitat for jaguars.

Thank you for your consideration.

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