TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A federal plan to help grow the population of the endangered jaguar in the Southwest is drawing criticism from environmental groups.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday released its final draft of a recovery plan for the jaguar.
The plan calls for two main habitat areas.
One includes parts of western Mexico up to southern Arizona and southwest New Mexico.
The other stretches from eastern Mexico to northern Argentina.
Advocacy group Defenders of Wildlife agues the plan essentially pushes more of the responsibility for recovery onto Mexico. The group also says the federal agency is overlooking millions of acres of potential habitat further north.
Jaguars are currently found in 19 countries. Only seven male jaguars have been seen in the U.S. since 1996.
