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Federal prosecutors have added another criminal charge against Janay Brun, the research technician who blew the whistle on last year's deliberate capture of jaguar Macho B.

The U.S. Attorney's Office added a charge of conspiracy to "take" a jaguar onto an earlier charge that Brun had illegally taken a jaguar in violation of the Endangered Species Act.

The change drew a protest from Brun's attorney, Michael Piccarreta. He said the new charge sends a bad message to people: " 'Cooperate with the government, but only at your own peril. If you know of some illegal acts, keep your mouth shut.'

Read the full article in the AZ Daily Star.

Get ready to miss tasty Mexico shrimp
Tony Davis, Valerie Vinyard and Mariana Alvarado Arizona Daily Star
Posted: Sunday, April 4, 2010 12:00 am

Tucsonans with a yen for wild Mexican shrimp may be in for some disappointment - or at least for a bigger bite of their wallet - due to a new U.S. government ban on importing these shrimp in the name of sea turtle protection.

Read the whole article at the AZ Daily Star

Macho B and Thornton SmithThe state fired a worker Friday for lying to federal investigators about the fact that the U.S.'s last known wild jaguar was lured to his capture and for concocting a cover-up story, officials said.

The employee, Thornton W. Smith, 40, said biologist Emil McCain told him he had put jaguar scat at two sites near the area where Macho B was captured a year ago southwest of Tucson, the Arizona Game and Fish Department revealed late Friday.

"We made a different story to protect the department, protect Emil, to protect my association with Emil, about, you know, not leaving jaguar scat, but (tape recording inaudible) ... But you know, I can't live with that. You know I did it."

Read the full story here (from AZ Daily Star)

Mexican Grey Wolf (©Robin Silver)"The government of Mexico is planning to reintroduce five endangered Mexican gray wolves in northeastern Sonora - within a wolf's walking distance of Arizona.

The reintroduction, scheduled to occur as early as this month, has forced U.S. state and federal agencies to scramble. Their problem is to figure out what to do if a wolf wanders north into the United States."

Read the full article in AZ Daily Star - Mexico to place 5 wolves near AZ

Here is a release from the AZ Game and Fish Dept.:

Mexico has announced its intent to release captive Mexican wolves, perhaps as early as October-November 2009, in northern Mexico (in eastern Sonora and western Chihuahua). On August 7, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will brief the Commission on how this project has been developed and on the potential for post-release dispersal into southern Arizona and New Mexico. The Service will also address other issues pertaining to wolves that disperse from Mexico into the AZ-NM borderlands, including: their legal (protected) status under federal law; how they will be detected, monitored, and managed; how reports of nuisance and livestock depredation incidents will be investigated; how impacts on big game populations will be detected and mitigated; how nuisance and depredating wolves will be managed; how proactive interdiction, incentive, and compensation measures will be funded and administered; and how outreach will be handled to make stakeholders and interested parties in southern Arizona and New Mexico and the general public aware of the project and the ramifications of post-release dispersal from Mexico into the United States.

See more of Robin Silver's Mexican Grey Wolf images

Cananea, Sonora"Today's situation is truly dramatic. On Feb. 11, a court in Mexico rejected the miners' final appeal of a ruling that said their strike is illegal. In other words, the workers are now occupying the huge copper mine there illegally."

Cananea, Sonora Tense as Miners Continue Occupation

Jaguar at El AribabiNew photographs of a Jaguar have been captured very near the U.S. by Sky Island Alliance and El Aribabi. Two photos 8 days apart in the same spot are likely the same jaguar, but with different sides of the animal photographed, it's hard to say for certain.

It is becoming clear that there is substantial jaguar habitat in Arizona / Sonora borderlands region for this wide-ranging species. A core breeding area is south-southeast of El Aribabi around 90 miles.

"Northern jaguars are a reality, and they want to stay," Sergio Avila, Sky Island Alliance biologist said. "Jaguars don't recognize political boundaries. They choose robust prey populations, open space and safe corridors"

This cat appears large and healthy suggesting more than suitable prey populations in the area.

Camera snaps jaguar photos below border (AZ Daily Star - 2/16/10)

Seven Die in Shootout Between Rival Gunmen in Magdalena, Sonora

Latin American Herald Tribune - Feb. 3, 2010

Snaring deliberate, and state lacked permits, US reports. Jaguar's capture broke law, feds say

AZ Daily Star - Jan. 22, 2010

TUCSON, Ariz. - In a reversal of federal policy, endangered jaguars in Arizona and elsewhere along the Mexican border will soon benefit from a recovery plan and designation of critical habitat. Eva Sargent, Southwest program director with Defenders of Wildlife, says it's an essential first step on the long road to recovery for the large cats, which have roamed the region for thousands of years. Read the rest here.