Unknown to many Americans, there is a lone jaguar living in the wilderness of the Santa Rita Mountains just outside Tucson, Ariz., and it has finally been caught on video for everyone to see.
The video was caught and released to the public by Conservation CATalyst and the Center for Biological Diversity, the groups keeping track of "El Jefe" the jaguar, which is Spanish for "The Boss."
"These glimpses into his behavior offer the keys to unlocking the mysteries of these cryptic cats. We are able to determine he is an adult male jaguar, currently in prime condition. Every new piece of information is important for conserving northern jaguars and we look forward to building upon on these data so that we can collectively make better decisions on how to manage these fascinating and endangered cats," said Aletris Neils, executive director of Conservation CATalyst, according Fox News.
He was originally named as jaguar Santa Rita by biologists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, but local school kids were given a chance to name him, and "El Jefe" was what the kids voted on, CNN reported.
Jaguars are known to be solitary animals so it comes as no surprise to researchers that he has travelled almost 130 miles from the south border to Arizona, all by himself.
"A lot of people have no idea that we have jaguars in the United States or that they belong here," said Randy Serraglio of the Center for Biological Diversity, according to The Huffington Post. "In bringing this video, we hope to inspire people to care about these animals and support protection for their homes."
