Biologists sue over jaguar’s fate

TUCSON — It was almost 20 years ago when federal officials first realized protetcion was needed for the jaguar, a stocky predator whose status put it atop the food chain throughout the Southwest.

Since then, little has been done to protect the big cat, which is now considered an endangered species. It’s habitat is steadily shrinking as more and more rooftops and bright lights sprout in Arizona’s remote deserts.

So the Center for Biological Diversity is suing top officials for the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service. They are asking a federal judge in Tucson for a court order that would force both agencies to set aside habitat and create a recovery plan for the jaguar.

In their 15-page complaint filed Aug. 2, 2007, lawyers for the center claim federal officials have missed at least two chances to protect the jaguar. At first, the lack of a solution was an “oversight,” according to the complaint. Then, in 2003, officials decided that helping the jaguar was “not prudent.”

Four jaguars have been sighted dozens of times since 1996, the suit claims. In every case, they were seen along the U.S.-Mexico border, where researchers have set up cameras with night-vision to spot the animals.