America’s famous jaguar ‘El Jefe’ shows up in Mexico
The wild cat’s natural habitat has been affected by mining activity in the area and the construction of the border wall, which could hamper his return
Seven years after his last sighting in the mountains of Santa Rita (Arizona) a jaguar popularly known as El Jefe (The Boss) has reappeared in Sonora, Mexico.
The jaguar has traveled hundreds of miles and has crossed the border on at least two occasions. The adult male is one of the few jaguars ever seen north of the US-Mexico border. Its reappearance has energized conservationists concerned about the destruction of the wild cat’s habitat by mining activity in the area and the construction of the border wall proposed by former US president Donald Trump.
The jaguar was first caught on camera in 2011 and quickly became popular, to the point of featuring in a school competition to choose his name. The new images of the animal were detected by a remote camera system.