Conservation of Jaguars, Mountain Lions, and Other Felids in Four Southern Arizona Parks

Hackl, Zoe; Haynes, Lisa; Culver, Melanie

All species of native cats that historically may have occurred or currently range into the southwestern United States are of concern to land managers because of their rarity or special status, interest to visitors, and potential safety issues. Of particular interest to National Park Service managers in southern Arizona are jaguars, which had been considered extirpated in the United States but have been photographed recently in southern Arizona, and mountain lions, which are increasingly coming into contact with visitors and park neighbors as development increases near park borders. We collected data on native felids at four National Park Service (NPS) sites: Coronado National Memorial (Coronado), Chiricahua National Monument (Chiricahua), Fort Bowie National Historic Site (Fort Bowie), and Saguaro National Park (Saguaro; divided into Rincon Mountain and Tucson Mountain Districts), and developed management plans for these species. We used infrared-triggered photography, hair snares and scat (feces) for collecting DNA, track count surveys, and historic records to gather baseline data on jaguars, ocelots, mountain lions, bobcats, jaguarundi, and feral cats. Healthy populations of puma and bobcat were observed in all four parks. The presence or absence of native Neotropical cats in the study sites could not be confirmed. It is recommended that monitoring of carnivores continue in all four parks in order to understand population trends and better make management decisions and that a standard protocol be followed when dealing with carnivore sightings and human conflict issues.