US, Mexico wildlife officials draft jaguar recovery plan
US, Mexico wildlife officials draft jaguar recovery plan
Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
Updated 6:21 pm, Monday, December 19, 2016
Photo: AP
FILE - This Dec. 1, 2016 file still image from video provided by Fort Huachuca shows a wild jaguar in southern Arizona. A team of wildlife officials in the United States and Mexico on Monday, Dec. 19, released details of a proposed recovery plan for the endangered jaguar, prompting criticism from environmental groups who say more needs to be done to restore a breeding population of the elusive cats north of the border. (Fort Huachuca via AP, File)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A team of wildlife officials in the United States and Mexico on Monday released details of a proposed recovery plan for the endangered jaguar, prompting criticism from environmental groups who say more needs to be done to restore a breeding population of the elusive cats north of the border.
While jaguars are found in 19 countries stretching from the American Southwest to South America, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday that the focus is on efforts in northern Mexico and the U.S.
As part of the proposal, scientists are not prescribing jaguar reintroductions in the U.S. They're focused instead on efforts to sustain habitat, eliminate poaching and improve social acceptance of the animal to accommodate jaguars that disperse into the U.S. so they can survive and multiply.
Federal officials are seeking comments on the proposal and any additional information that could help shape a final version of the plan.
More:
http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/US-Mexico-wildlife-officials-draft-recovery-plan-10806677.php