One of the only known living jaguars who recently roamed southern Arizona was apparently shown dead in a photo.
The Center for Biological Diversity said the photo shows a pelt with markings that match Yo’oko, a young male jaguar who roamed the Huachuca Mountains in 2016 and 2017.
Details surrounding the photo and the death are unknown at this time.
“This tragedy is piercing,” said Randy Serraglio, conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. “It highlights the urgency to protect jaguar habitat on both sides of the border and ensure that these rare, beautiful cats have safe places to live.”
The cat’s name was chosen in 2017 by students at Hiaki High School in Tucson.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, Jaguars continue to move into Arizona from Mexico. Seven Jaguars have been seen in the United States in the past 20 years.
Related: How the proposed border wall would impact the jaguar and other endangered species
