Jaguar spotted in Arizona, 5th sighting of the endangered big cat in 15 years
More than 99% of the jaguar’s range is found in Central and South America, and the few male jaguars that have been spotted in the US are believed to have dispersed from core populations in Mexico.
This photo, made with a remote camera and provided by the University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center, shows a spotted jaguar in southern Arizona, Nov. 2025. (University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center via AP)
A group of researchers at the University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center has said that they have spotted a Jaguar, a species considered locally extinct in the US.
According to the researchers, the animal was captured by the camera as it visited a watering hole in southern Arizona in November. Based on the rosette pattern on the jaguar, researchers have concluded that the camera-trapped animal has not been recorded previously.
5th jaguar spotted in 15 years
According to them, the distinctive spots on the jaguar set it apart from previous sightings in the area. This is only the fifth time in the past 15 years that jaguars have been spotted in the area after crossing the US-Mexico border.
The Santa Rita Jaguar was first detected in the Whetstone Mountains by houndsman Donnie Fenn in 2011. (Photo: University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center)
“We’re very excited. It signifies this edge population of jaguars continues to come here because they’re finding what they need,” Susan Malusa, director of the center’s jaguar and ocelot project, told The Associated Press.
Why the sighting is significant
She said that it was remarkable that the cat kept returning to the area over a 10-day period. Otherwise, she described the animals as quite elusive.
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“That’s the message — that this species is recovering,” Malusa said. “We want people to know that and that we still do have a chance to get it right and keep these corridors open.”
Recent detection data support findings that a jaguar appears every few years, Malusa said, with movement often tied to the availability of water. When food and water are plentiful, there’s less movement.
The team is now working to collect scat samples to conduct genetic analysis and determine the sex and other details about the new jaguar, including what it likes to eat.
As an indicator species, Malusa said the continued presence of big cats in the region suggests a healthy landscape but that climate change and border barriers can threaten migratory corridors. She explained that warming temperatures and significant drought increase the urgency to ensure connectivity for jaguars with their historic range in Arizona.
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Where did the jaguar come form?
More than 99% of the jaguar’s range is found in Central and South America, and the few male jaguars that have been spotted in the US are believed to have dispersed from core populations in Mexico, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Officials have said that jaguar breeding in the US has not been documented in more than 100 years.
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This photo, made with a remote camera and provided by the University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center, shows a spotted jaguar in southern Arizona, Nov. 2025. (University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center via AP) 
