ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A team of wildlife officials in the United States and Mexico has drafted a recovery plan for the endangered jaguar.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the plan Monday. While the elusive cat is found in 19 countries stretching from the American Southwest to South America, the agency says the plan focuses on efforts in northern Mexico and the U.S.
Earlier this month, video captured in a southern Arizona mountain range shows what is believed to be the second wild jaguar spotted in the U.S. in recent years.
As part of the species' proposed recovery plan, scientists haven't prescribed jaguar reintroductions in the U.S. They're focused on efforts to sustain habitat, eliminate poaching and improve social acceptance of the animal to accommodate jaguars that disperse north of the border.
