Jaguars used to regularly be seen in Arizona, but they were hunted out of the state. KENS 5 reported that in the 1800s, the jaguar's range stretched from the Amazon to the southern United States. But by the mid-20th century, the were no longer seen in the US.
Recently, researchers saw a pair of male jaguars crossing into the state. Ganesh Marin, a biologist working on his PhD at the University of Arizona, said, "The jaguars we saw in the Borderlands, Valerio, and Bonito were also males. The good news about them is they are young. You can find an astonishing amount of diversity. I'm talking pumas, black bears, beavers, and then there's jaguars and this is incredible."
"When you have young like the ones we reported, it means the moment is not far. Males disperse first, females are slower, and female jaguars could soon be in the United States," Main explained.
Hunting and a loss of habitat are the main reason jaguars left the United States.
But according to John Koprowski, a professor at the University of Wyoming and Marin's PhD advisor, says that the Sky Islands in the Sierra Madre Mountains are the reason the jaguars are moving north.
Koprowski said, "But this wonderful tapestry, this mosaic of diverse habitats that are connected to make the movement between islands. To jump across an inhospitable desert environment to a more lush mountain environment."
Marin says he is "hopeful" that the female jaguars will soon follow.