Yo’oko, a Jaguar that once Roamed the United States, has been Killed

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A newly-released photo of a jaguar pelt is widely believed to be that of Yo’oko, a jaguar who had previously been seen in the United States. This skull did not belong to Yo’oko. Image courtesy of Richard Mahler.

This is not the sort of story I like to share. Since 1996, seven male jaguars (Panthera onca) have been confirmed in the United States. This provided some hope that the species, which once ranged widely throughout the southwestern US, might eventually recolonize parts of their former range. Unfortunately, one of those jaguars has been killed.

The Northern Jaguar Project (NJP) recently sent a photo of a jaguar pelt to the Arizona Daily Star. The NJP’s biologists, six members of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and a retired US Fish and Wildlife biologist have all looked at the picture. They have concluded that the spot pattern matches that of Yo’oko, a jaguar who was repeatedly photographed in the Huachuca Mountains of Arizona.

Yo’oko was first photographed in the Huachucas on December 1, 2016. Then, in 2017, the Center for Biological Diversity and Conservation CATalyst arranged for students at Hiaki High School in Tucson to give the jaguar a name. Many of the students at that school are members of the Yaqui tribe, and they chose the name “Yo’oko:” meaning “jaguar” in Yaqui.

Jaguars are endangered in both the US and Mexico, so killing them is illegal in both countries. Jim DeVos of Arizona Game and Fish has stated that he would like to know more about who killed Yo’oko and where, but the NJP will not say how they obtained the photograph. They work closely with ranchers in northern Mexico, and do not wish to lose their trust. All the NJP is saying is that the photo was taken in Mexico.

This is obviously a tragic event. Yo’oko provided hope to many people, and now he has been killed and skinned. But as Randy Serraglio of the Center for Biological Diversity pointed out, this case shows that jaguars in both the US and Mexico need to be protected.

Click Here for the Original Article by Tony Davis of the Arizona Daily Star

Published by Josh Gross

Wildlife, social science, conservation, and scicomm.

49 Thoughts

    1. I doubt whoever killed Yo’oko was thinking about that at the time. They were probably thinking about the prestige they’d get for killing a jaguar, or about how much they’ve been told about why jaguars are bad. Or perhaps they just saw a jaguar and shot. Rarely do we consider long-term consequences such as extinction, which is a large part of the problem.

      Liked by 4 people

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  5. So very sad to read about this. We need to start fencing in the humans not the wilderness. There are places on this world where humans should not go. We should make room for normal food chains and evolution to take place.

    Liked by 3 people

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  6. Pingback: Yo’oko, a Jaguar that once Roamed the United States, has been Killed — The Jaguar | huggers.ca

  9. I really hope they find who did it and serve them a long sentence and hefty fine. Unfortunately, many of the environmental laws Obama put in place have been repealed, so nothing might come from this at all. =/

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. I highly doubt that anything will come of this. When it comes to predators like jaguars, anti-poaching laws are rarely enforced. Besides, the Northern Jaguar Project won’t even say who gave them the photo of the skinned jaguar. So even if authorities want to pursue this case, they can’t: not without issuing a subpoena to the NJP.

      Liked by 1 person

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        1. It’s a tricky line to navigate. If the NJP seriously pursues this case, they run the risk of losing the local ranchers’ trust. All of their programs are voluntary and heavily dependent upon rancher participation. So if they ranchers don’t trust them, then they won’t be able to do anything for jaguars. It’s the ultimate paradox for community-based conservation.

          Liked by 1 person

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  10. This is defiantly a sad sad story it’s just heart breaking what we humans do! Thank you for sharing your prospective on it. We as the Highest of all creatures really need to do better.

    Liked by 3 people

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  15. I agree with you that someone probably killed the jaguar for the notoriety…it makes me so mad to think someone would kill such a rare animal for such a foolish reason.

    Liked by 2 people

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  16. Mankind as a word always leaves me feeling nauseous, nothing kind about them. Another sad, sad story that simply makes me angry. What animals are going to be left in the futures of the people when mindless and senseless killing continues :(

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. That’s a very good question: what animals are going to be left in the future? At this rate we appear to be determined to destroy every creature that helps to maintain healthy ecosystems, from top predators to pollinators. Before too long our appetites for comfort, and especially the greed of the elite, may even make the Earth uninhabitable for our own species.

      Liked by 1 person

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  17. Pingback: Yo’oko, a Jaguar that once Roamed the United States, has been Killed — The Jaguar – A Guy Called Bloke and K9 Doodlepip!

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