By Claire McCullough
The industrialization, climate change, and modernization of the world has directly caused many species to become endangered and extinct. With the growing levels of extinction, activists work to give these animals a voice. An example of this is how Laiken Jordahl, an activist for the Center of Biological Diversity, has advocated for the return of American Jaguars into the U.S. According to an article by Jordahl written for the Center of Biological Diversity, in January 2024 a petition for Jaguars to be allowed into the Gila National Forest in New Mexico was denied by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Following lions and tigers, Jordahl states that jaguars are the third largest cat in the world. An Arizona Republic article written by Hayleigh Evens titled “Feds say no to reintroduce jaguars in NM but could expand habitat there and in AZ,” explains that although the cats are almost entirely found in South America today, the species first evolved in North America. However, John Washington’s article titled “On the trail of Jaguar: Population growth a success in Sonora. Can the U.S. do the same?” published in Arizona Luminaria in September of 2024, approximately 100 years ago the U.S. aided ranchers in killing the cats, who were seen as potential threats to the ranching business. The efforts of the U.S. government and ranches lead to a rapid decline in the population. Jordahl mentions that over the past thirty years only eight Jaguars have been spotted in the U.S.
According to Evens, advocates believe that bringing jaguars back into the U.S. would strengthen the ecosystems the cats used to be present in by giving these ecosystems a stable apex predator. Advocates also mention that if the remaining Jaguar population is restricted to Sonora the lack of diversity within the species could lead to genetic deformities in the future. Professor of Biology Dustin Wilgers, states that if the species was successfully brought back into the U.S. their domain would be mostly limited to Arizona and New Mexico. He believes that the Center of Biological Diversity’s petition was denied due to lack of the proper amount of habitat for the adequate establishment of the species in those areas.
In the future, cats have the potential to become a topic of political debate. An article by Steven Rosenbaum, and Sergio Candido in CBS News titled “President Trump pledges to expand border wall, praises Texas Gov. Greg Abbott” published in January of 2025, mentions how Trump still is planning on building the border wall. According to Professor Wilgers, the wall and construction could directly affect the cats who sometimes temporarily wander in the U.S. then return to Mexico by trapping them in the U.S. In addition to trapping the cats, the wall also has the possibility of trapping populations of the jaguar’s prey in the U.S. One of the most important parts of protecting species from extinction is to advocate them in any way possible. These animals are unable to speak, so advocates speaking out for these animals is crucial, and that’s what advocate groups continue to do. Even though the petition was denied, Jordahl is still putting in the effort. In his article he wrote “we (the cats.”
