Jaguars are captivating big cats, and their presence often leads to questions about their existence in Arizona. Many wonder if these elusive predators roam the state’s wild landscapes, reflecting a public interest in their recovery.
Jaguars in Arizona Today
Jaguars are present in Arizona, though they are a rare sight. They are not part of a widespread, established breeding population within the state. Instead, jaguars observed in Arizona are typically individual male cats dispersing northward from core populations in Sonora, Mexico. Recent sightings confirm their infrequent presence in the southern part of the state, with multiple detections in 2024 and 2025.
Where Arizona’s Jaguars Live
Jaguars venturing into Arizona primarily inhabit the “Sky Island” mountain ranges in the southern region. These include the Huachuca, Santa Rita, Atascosa, Whetstone, and Chiricahua Mountains. These unique habitats, part of the Madrean Sky Islands ecoregion, are forested ranges rising from surrounding deserts and grasslands. They provide connectivity and suitable terrain for jaguars traveling from Mexico.
These Sky Islands offer diverse environments, including oak woodlands, pine-oak forests, and riparian corridors. The rugged, undeveloped landscapes and available prey make these areas attractive to dispersing individuals. Jaguars utilize these mountainous corridors for their movements, underscoring the importance of habitat connectivity across the international border.
The Jaguar’s Return to Arizona
Jaguars were historically native to Arizona, with their range extending as far north as the Grand Canyon. By the mid-20th century, their populations were largely extirpated from the United States due to intensive hunting and habitat loss. The last confirmed killing of a female jaguar in Arizona occurred in 1963, leading to the species’ disappearance from the state.
Despite this historical decline, individual jaguars began to naturally recolonize parts of Arizona starting in the mid-1990s. These animals are not part of a reintroduction program, but rather represent natural movements of male jaguars from Sonora, Mexico. Notable sightings include “El Jefe,” a male jaguar photographed in the Santa Rita Mountains between 2011 and 2015, and confirmed in Sonora, Mexico in 2022. Since 1996, at least eight different jaguars have been documented in the U.S. Southwest.
Protecting Arizona’s Jaguars
Jaguars in Arizona receive protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), listed as endangered in 1997. This legal status mandates conservation efforts by state and federal agencies, including the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). These agencies and conservation organizations collaborate on research and initiatives supporting jaguar recovery.
Monitoring efforts are important for understanding jaguar movements and habitat use. Scientists employ non-invasive techniques like camera traps, which capture images and videos of jaguars, and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis from water or sediment samples to detect their presence. The USFWS has designated over 640,000 acres in Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise counties as critical habitat for jaguars. Cross-border conservation is also vital, as jaguar survival in Arizona relies on maintaining connectivity with source populations in Mexico.