Our opinion
Desert habitat is constantly under the strain of human development. Although it may look barren, it hosts a unique and important ecosystem. Preserving the jaguar is preserving the stability of the Sonoran desert. Although I have doubts that efforts will prove successful in creating stable breeding populations in the U.S., it’s important to support the borderland populations. And cross-border connectivity and critical habitat designation will go to support a diverse desert community.
Jaguars once lived in Arizona, California, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas (FWS, 2016) but changes to the environment, in part by humans and climate change, have made the Southwest into marginal habitat for the Jaguars (Rabinowitz, 1999). Jaguars thrive in the middle latitudes, with an affinity for lowland wet communities, including swampy savannas and tropical rainforests (FWS, 2016). Comparatively, the more dry, open habitat of the Southwest is characterized as minimal in terms of water, cover, and prey densities (Rabinowitz 1999). They are rarely found in extensive arid areas, with only three current residents documented in the U.S. (FWS, 2016). So to say they require the Southwest as a valuable part of their habitat would be an overstatement. During the past century, the number of credible or confirmed sightings are too few in number to indicate the possibility of larger, long-term populations north of the border (Rabinowitz, 1999). With evidence and consideration for the stable populations just south of the border, it seems like it would take a whole lot of change to bring back the jaguar in the U.S. However, if the point of conservation in the United States is not to “save” the jaguar but allow the feline access to healthy habitat and the full extent of its range, then I’m all for it.
Because jaguars have large territories, it’s important they have viable space to roam. The fringe population that exists in the U.S. traveled across the border. And this concept is what makes conservation essential, not only for the Jaguar but many other species. Borderland populations are important especially with a global trend in climate change. Emile McCain and Jack Childs from the Journal of Mammalogy found that the “Conservation of jaguars in the northernmost portion of their range (i.e., the borderlands population) deserves attention equal to or greater than that of core populations.” And habitat preservation and cross-border connectivity are the most important factors in sustaining these populations. The region south of Arizona and New Mexico is critical for jaguar recovery in the southwestern United States. This is because to get to the US, Jaguars must travel through Sonora and Chihuahua (Eisenberg, 2014). The border is heavily fortified fracturing their habitat and making the journey much harder for many other animals too. By creating a path for Jaguars and protecting desert habitat we will be serving these borderland populations and many other species indirectly. That is why-with all economic pressures considered-I fully support critical habitat designation and conservation. By saving the jaguar we will be helping multitudes of species and ourselves by preserving our resources and land. Thanks to the jaguar we’ve already made progress and it’s my hope we continue to do so.
Moncrief
The jaguar is a mesmerizingly beautiful species. But its role in the ecosystem amounts to even greater than its beauty. The jaguar is a top predator and a keystone species, meaning that it is crucially important and virtually irreplaceable (Nogueira, 2009). For these reasons I believe that the jaguar must be saved. It is a species that whose extinction would be felt on an enormous scale, including entire ecosystems and even humans (Nogueira, 2009).
A world without the jaguar would be a world where certain populations of animals would take off, and others suffer, with instability becoming dominant in many ecosystems. These unhealthy ecosystems would unset the delicately balanced jungle and desert ecosystems that jaguars roam in today. For the good of many species and ecosystems, the jaguar must be saved. I believe, though, that efforts to save the jaguar should be primarily focused outside of the United States, in areas with denser and more promising jaguar populations. The current state of jaguars in the U.S. is so desperate and would take so much money to recover from, that I believe jaguars would benefit much more from money and resources put into other places.
​
It would cost an estimated $605,648,000 to carry out the recovery plan for the United States, which would continue until the year 2066 (FWS, 2016). If one-third of this money remained for carrying out the U.S. recovery plan, and two-thirds of the money was spent on helping jaguars in Central and South America, then jaguars could see incredible benefits. With the money that would remain for use in the United States, certain key components could be focused on, such as creating wildlife corridors between the U.S. and Mexico, and providing funding for rangers to directly protect jaguars and their habitats. With the majority of money going towards efforts in other countries, many key recovery strategies could be implemented in order to reduce the decline of jaguars (and then begin the incline). Some of these plans would include funding programs to educate local farmers on the importance of jaguars, and ultimately teach them that they are more valuable alive than dead (as jaguars are often seen as nuisances and competition, since they prey on livestock) (Miller et. al, 2015). Some money and resources would also go towards opening up wildlife corridors between habitats so that jaguars could have larger more consecutive habitats to roam, hunt, and breed in. Another key strategy to be funded would be working with other countries to put together wildlife and habitat enforcement teams. Rangers have the potential to play a crucial role in the protection of jaguars and habitat from both poachers and companies targeting natural resources (primarily wood, copper, and coal) (Miller et. al, 2015).
​
Although jaguars are in this distressed situation, there is still much hope to get them into a healthier situation. With funding and resources going towards the right programs, jaguars could see recovery and stabilization in population.
Human aid is completely necessary for jaguars to begin to heal, though. Humans have been the cause of almost every factor harming jaguars. From hunting all of their prey, taking over and destroying most of their habitat, and even poaching the animals themselves, the harm that has been done is irreversible (Miller et. al, 2015). Our species has caused all of this harm, and not even for necessary reasons. The encroachment of the habitat, and the killing of the jaguar are not necessary for the survival of humans. The natural resources that have been taken for human use (which the jaguars are feeling the negative effects of) are not out of necessity, but out of want or even greed. These factors highlight why humans must put in the effort to save the jaguars: we created the anguishing situation that they are currently in, and so we have the responsibility to get them out of it and back to health. Plus, if we can aid in increasing the population back to healthy and sustainable numbers, then ecosystems will also feel the positive and balanced impact that the jaguars bring in their very existence (Armstrong, 2016).
Larsen
