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Once a vital part of the Southwest's natural landscape, the jaguar, ocelot and jaguarundi are clawing to hang on. Loss of habitat is the greatest threat to all border cats. Jaguarundis and ocelots depend on dense undergrowth to live, travel and feed. Uninterrupted corridors of this habitat are vital for natural dispersal of border cat populations and their prey. Over the past 60 years, much of the native vegetation in Texas has been burned, cleared and converted for crops and cattle grazing. Increased road construction poses another concern for border cats since they are at high risk of being hit by cars. Collisions with vehicles are the primary cause of ocelot mortality in south Texas. Unfortunately, many of the culverts, or underpasses, constructed to help border cats pass under roads are poorly built or are not placed at frequently used crossings.
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Jaguars
Jaguars have been documented historically in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and southern Louisiana, but today, the jaguar has been virtually eliminated from the U.S., and it is gone or missing from approximately half its range. The largest cat in the Western Hemisphere, the jaguar has been the victim of predator control programs, extensive land conversion for cattle ranching, and a reduced prey base due to over-hunting. Habitat loss is currently the main threat to jaguars, as logging practices, forest clearing for small farms, and urban development destroy habitat. Historically, the most immediate threat to jaguars was the international fur trade. Today, despite national and international protections, jaguars are still killed indiscriminately in much of their current range.
Confirmed jaguar sightings in Arizona as recently as 1996 prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to extend this cat's "endangered" status under the Endangered Species Act to include its range in the U.S., in addition to Latin America. While most experts believe that the jaguar is only an occasional visitor to the U.S., others believe that some wild areas in the southwestern U.S. may still be able to support jaguars. At a minimum, U.S. lands may still provide areas for jaguar populations to disperse from Mexico, making it paramount that the U.S. protect remaining jaguar habitats in the Southwest.
Ocelots
Historically, ocelots in the U.S. roamed the forests and scrub habitat of Texas, Arizona, and possibly Louisiana and Arkansas. Today, although world ocelot populations stretch from south Texas to South America, the species has declined considerably in the northern part of its range. Only about 80 ocelots are known to exist on the Texas-Mexico border, and aside from cats that may occasionally wander up from Mexico, there are no remaining ocelots in Arizona.
While the ocelot's distinctive spotted markings have long made this cat a popular target for the fur and illegal pet trade, the most critical threat to ocelot populations today in south Texas and northern Mexico is habitat destruction and fragmentation. In 1982, the ocelot was listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Jaguarundis
Distinct in appearance from any other cat species, the jaguarundi is about twice the size of a common house cat. Historically, jaguarundis inhabited much of Central and South America and parts of the southwestern U.S. Although these cats remain relatively numerous, jaguarundi populations may be declining. Already, it is presumed extinct in Uruguay and its presence in Texas is debatable. Most experts believe these cats are now extinct in the U.S.
Because of their small size, jaguarundis have been spared from exploitation for the fur trade. Like all wild cats, the primary concern for the jaguarundi, both in the U.S. and Mexico, is habitat loss and fragmentation. Future protection of the species will be dependent on national and international policies to ensure that jaguarundis can travel across the United States-Mexico border.
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