Day 9: February 26

1. I email McCain that parts for BJDP’s ATV have come in and it will be worked on the following week. McCain replies: “Great! So, I hear you will be picking up the shit soon. Lets keep it our (sic) of Macho B’s way for right now…”

The shit McCain was referring to is jaguar scat. The following day I was supposed to travel to Sonoita and pick up jaguar scat from McCain’s house and check out the puma’s kill sites. I didn’t. Instead, I hiked to the entrance of the canyon where Macho B was and left him steaks on a sunlit rock above the canyon floor (so he could eat in peace if he found them and not be disturbed by drug smugglers who used the canyon as one of their travel routes).

2. McCain emails Vanpelt, Johnson, and a whole string of redacted recipients: “Hello All, Again today there has not been much action from Macho B. He has been held up again in the same spot for the last 24 hrs. There were several locations that were not received, which means he was likely in a cave or under an overhang. It did appear as though he did go dwon (sic) by the creek.”

Macho B was actually in the same area he had been in since day 2 for a total of 168 hours, not 24. The above email was the only one from this day regarding Macho B. I imagine phone calls were being made instead.

Now, what AZGFD was telling the public.

From Feb. 19 AZGFD press release:

” The male cat was incidentally captured yesterday in an area southwest of Tucson during a research study aimed at monitoring habitat connectivity for mountain lions and black bears. While individual jaguars have been photographed sporadically in the borderland area of the state over the past years, the area where this animal was captured was outside of the area where the last known jaguar photograph was taken in January. ”

The distance between the camera site where Macho B’s photo was picked up on Feb. 4 (the day the snares were activated) and the snare that captured him is about two miles. Both locations were in the same mountain complex. The fact that Macho B’s tracks were found on the trap line where he was eventually snared was left out. In addition, there is nothing “incidental” about placing snares, which indiscriminately catch any animal that walks through, in known jaguar habitat, in an area where Macho B had recently been detected through photos and track identification, and where an additional snare was built and activated by the detected jaguar tracks. That is targeting Macho B for capture, not “incidentally” catching him.

From Feb. 26 AZGFD press release:

“Every indication is that Macho B is doing well and has recovered from his capture and collaring,” says Terry Johnson, endangered species coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.”

Macho B has barely moved in 7 days. Though McCain consulted with Thompson about his concerns regarding Macho B, for some reason he didn’t consult a vet with regard to the re-narcing concern of Telazol or just with Macho B’s overall behavior post-immobilization. He had consulted with two highly respected vets pre-capture, yet didn’t seek their expertise post-capture.  There is also no indication that anyone at AZGFD contacted a vet.

Day 8: February 25

1. McCain emails Ron Thompson updating him on Macho B and to ask for his, “advice and involvement in any field actions in my absence.” In part McCain writes: ” As you will see from the string of emails below, our cat has not moved as much as we would like to see and there was one point when I began to get pretty worried. He has started moving a little again, but nothing very big at all. I know Bill (vanpelt) and Terry (johnson) have begun to get some negative feedback on the size of the collar etc. and therefore there is a desire to go in and document that he is ok and search a possible kill site. I would like the peace of mind in knowing that he is ok, but I also want to give him the time he needs to fully recover form (sic) the traumatic events of the capture without further bothering him in any way whatsoever… I have known this cat to use this exact area more extensively that (sic) anywhere else in the past, including when he was chased by hounds. Anyway, please read the below emails and give me your thoughts. I do not want to do anything stupid-just to counter a few negative, uneducated voices from the public… But if you feel that we should go in and try to get a visual on him and maybe search some of the bedding sites, please let me know. I will greatly appreciate your expertise and insight from your long history working with cats and captures and field work…”

Thompson responds: ” Like the Nike commercial says: Just do it. Send your prey mortality sheet and we will hopefully fill it out. Each cat is different, but they all act the same after a capture-they stay localized until they feel they can defend themselves… By the way, (redacted) has put on and taken off about 50 North Star collars and has observed no ill affects (sic) of the collar. I would be happy to assist (redacted). Sounds like you have a plan, so let’s implement it.”

McCain replies: “Thanks for your support… I feel it is a little too soon to go in. He is still only a couple hundred meters away. I just don’t really see what we gain by going in so soon, other than give Bill something to tell the press. Ok (redacted) experiences should be communicated with Bill and Terry. They are getting beaten up by the press and the animal lovers. Second, I do think he is ok, but I would like him to have all the time he needs to move on… What is your thought? Is there any need to go in now, say for a visual? Or should we give him some more time?”

Thompson responds: “Peace of mind is an elusive thing… You have a live critter to learn from. So what are your objectives? If we go in for a visual he will have a 99.9% chance of knowing we are there before we might see him… If you are interested in kill data than the kill site is probably getting older. I use (sic) to keep a telemetry form for sheep and lions that had a column “disturbed by tracker.” As humans we are great at impacting our study animals to the point that their welfare is negatively impacted… You are in this for the long haul and probably through the end of his life span. Everyone needs to accept that. I know your information will lead to other jaguars. He just has to live long enough to let you discover them. Learn all you can from him that you can. Do it at his biological pace and to hell with all those who sit in their ivory towers…”

McCain replies: “Your words are well received. Please stand by until he moves out a little.”

2. I email McCain to let him know Childs will be helping me with the map technology in order to locate the Patagonia lion’s kill sites. I ask: “Whom am I working for when I check the kills; BJDP or AZGFD? Is there compensation for mileage, time? Am I to fill out the form you just sent at each kill? Some of those kill sites are months old…” I end the email with, “How is Mr. B?”

McCain replies: “… Ultimately, this diet study is part of BJDP. Keep your time and mileage as usual. Even though this is looking at puma kills, it is training for the jaguar monitoring… Mr. B is still laying low. He may have had a kill already, but he is still not moving too far… Will keep you posted.”

3. McCain emails Blake Henke of North Star: “… I am glad you understood my concern and I am glad to hear you too are keeping an eye on this cat. We are still a little concerned with the generally small movements so far. Especially for this cat, which we have documented traversing over 20 miles in a night… I prefer not to bother him until there is an obvious reason. Thanks for the clarification on the gaps in locations…”

4. Vanpelt emails McCain for an update: ” I have not heard from you regarding Macho B so hopefully things are going okay. I saw (redacted) earlier and he said he had spoken with you and you had told him Macho B was in the same area. We are going to hold off going in to the area until next week. Need to make sure we have all the equipment (satellite phone, other collar etc.). If you could please send me an update so I can feed the rest of the chain I would appreciate it.”

McCain replies: “Today there has not been much action from Macho B. He has been held up again in the same spot for the last 24 hrs. I just spoke with Ron Thompson as he has had considerable experience with cats, especially mountain lions, that have been snared, immobilized, collared and then monitored. Ron’s experience, and that of his close colleagues, is as good as it gets on this subject. His impression, and I totally agree, is that these cats will hold up for some time after a snare capture when they have a sore foot. They will not move on until that foot feels good enough to travel. The fact that Macho B has made several 100-200 meter moves… means he is doing fine… Regardless, Ron assures me that 7-9 days in the same spot is not a big deal for a large carnivore and nothing to raise major concern… After speaking with Ron and thinking back on the behavior of several lions I have collared, I strongly believe we should give him his time and not bother him… We will not do him any good to bother him there, and I don’t quite understand what our objectives would be that could justify further harassing him…”

Day 7: February 24

1. McCain emails Johnson/Van Pelt: “Well I hate to say this but our cat is not moving. He has been in the same spot for 20 hours without moving. We only obtained 3 locations over that time (should have been more like 7), so either he is in a spot with very poor satellite coverage or he is shifting slightly in and out of the signal coverage… One thing that has me a little concerned is that each location also indicated if the collar is moving or not moving; these last three locations are not moving. I am not sure exactly what “moving vs not moving” means, but I have put in an inquiry to North Star… Please stand by. I will let you all know.”

2. In a follow-up email several hours later McCain gives an update: “Another point just came in at 3:49 AM your time. Still no movement, collar still reading not moving. That make (sic) at least 24 hours with no know (sic) movement. This should be prime time for him to be moving. Expect another update as soon as the next point comes in… and probably some phone calls.”

Van Pelt responds: “I believe we should send some people with the GPS coordinate for the collar for a look see.”

3. McCain gives another update: “Better news! Our cat has moved exactly 100 meters down slope and as of 7 AM was in the bottom of the canyon. Again the message says there is no movement. I am calling North Star right now to see what the hell that means. But, the good news is that we have some movement. I think there is no need to worry for the time being…”

Van Pelt responds: “Call me paranoid but I still think a look see is in order… In general the movements are still small in nature. My two cents worth.”

McCain responds: “Yes the movements are small-very small for this critter… My first thought is to get a visual, but I tend to want to wait a bit. We are dealing with an old animal who went through a stressful time. If he is dead, there is no hurry to get to him. However, if he is alive and still slowly recovering, I don’t think we need to further stress him at all. The only positive I can see in visiting the site is possibly trying to get a high powered antibiotic/and or anti inflammatory to him and possibly some food… There is also a possibility that he has been on a kill. When I go back and look at everything all together, he was slowly traveling up a steep ridge, then he suddenly dropped down a small steep draw to a dense patch of cover, where he spent over 24 hrs (a perfect place to drag a kill)… And now he has come out and dropped down to the bottom… I happen to know there is a good herd of javelina in that area… What do you guys think?”

Van Pelt responds: “… good point about the kill. Then if we follow your protocol, we should go in tomorrow to document it. I think it is important to document feeding as quickly as possible. This will quiet the critics about the collar inhibiting movement.”

McCain volleys back: “Under my protocol, we wait until the cat has moved out of the area… I just do not want to push him unless we have a good reason.”

Johnson chimes in: “Agreed. Let’s wait for a good reason.”

I would like to remind readers that the above email participants, along with Childs, had previously agreed that if Macho B died, the area would be treated as a crime scene.

4. Another update from McCain: “Ok New point just came in. He has now moved another 100 meters. This time straight up hill and to the northeast. Again the signal says he is not moving… I can now only assume he is more or less ok. I would hold off on going in there until he clears the area, as I think this is about the best possible place for him to peacefully recovering (sic). No need to bother him at this point.”

5. A BJDP volunteer emails McCain questions about the collaring of Macho B including, “Did AZ Fish and Game really want Macho B collared, or are they just playing along after the fact?” The volunteer also remarks about the capture, “What a stroke of well planned luck!” McCain responds in part: “AZGFD is totally stoked. They did say they would have never giving (sic) us permission to do it, but are very glad we did… We plan on immediately starting an indepth diet study, and I plan to have BJDP visit each and every possible kill site…”

6. McCain gives Van Pelt and Johnson another update: “Our cat appears to be doing fine… As of about 1 PM he had moved across the slope to the east another 80 meters… Once he clears out of this general area, we will have to spend a day looking around for sure. Maybe my first day back in the states… I have been in communication with (redacted) who has been talking with (redacted). They are both available until friday and ready to make a trip into the site to check him out. They are currently standing by. Also, I spoke with North Star and have learned a lot about how the collar works. It turns out the moving/not moving component is not terribly useful for a situation like this. It is also noteworthy that our collar does NOT have a mortality signal as I thought it did…”

The redacted names from the above email are most likely Smith and Thompson based on their involvement with Macho B’s recapture and future communications with McCain.

Johnson replies to McCain’s update: “Absolutely fantastic! Well, except for that part about the mortality signal. That complicates things a little. LOL!”

Day 2: February 19

1. McCain receives the “Thorry did it!” email from Thompson

2. McCain emails Smith and Crabb: “I just got the messages. WOW!…Ok, so I am online. Everything looks good…He seems to have moved a far distance…” (the location McCain describes is a mile, more or less, away from the capture site)

3. McCain emails them again: “Ok, he has moved another short bit. He is in a very rugged, rocky area. A perfect place to recover a little.” At some point McCain speaks with Smith on the phone.

4. McCain responds to an email I sent him about the BJDP cameras I checked in the Patagonias on the 18th. The email closes with, “Please tell Thorry congratulations! I am monitoring online. All seems to be well. He is moving well and has arrived at a great hidden spot to recover for a bit. Can you believe this ?!?” I respond to this email with, “Tell Thorry congrats about what? Is the collared animal Macho B?” This prompts a phone call from McCain, who is in Spain, to confirm that Macho B was captured/collared. I find out when and where he was captured and that it went, “okay.”

5. At some point McCain calls Jack Childs to inform him that Macho B has been captured/collared.

6. At 8:30 AM Kirby Bristow calls his boss on the AZGFD snaring project, Chasa O’Brien, and informs her of the jaguar capture. O’Brien said she responded with, “What? He collared it? What are you doing?” O’Brien said that from the beginning of the snaring project she stated, “No radio collaring any jaguars.” But, after she took the jaguar capture notification up the chain of command she realized, ” The JAGCT had different direction with regards to if a jaguar were captured it should be radio collared.”

7. Terry Johnson is informed by Childs before the JAGCT meeting is about to begin that, “We did it! Got a collar on Macho B.”

8. Johnson opens the JAGCT meeting with the news that a jaguar had been captured, inadvertently, during the course of another AZGFD project. The jaguar’s age was estimated to be 8+ years old.  Either he or Childs tell the meeting that the jaguar has not yet been confirmed to be Macho B. During the meeting McCain leaves Childs and I separate phone messages that Macho B has moved several miles.

9. Smith and Crabb return to Penasco Canyon to take plaster casts of Macho B’s tracks. They also wanted to “check on him” because Smith was concerned about re-narcing and to make sure no one is in the area hunting with hounds. Later they give the capture photos and video to their AZGFD supervisors. It is there they learn the spot patterns of the captured animal match Macho B’s.

10. McCain emails Dr. Aguilar and Dr. Deem about the jaguar capture. “HE DID IT!!!! Yesterday he successfully immobilized and collared an Arizona jaguar!”

11. Bill Van Pelt of AZGFD emails McCain, “How far has he moved since collaring?” And then Van Pelt sends him another email, “What about the tooth? I have not had a chance to talk with Thorry.”

12. McCain responds to Van Pelt’s email, “He looks good. He has traveled several miles over very rough country…I would say he has fully recovered from the immobilization and that he has no damage that would impede his movements in any way. I am a little concerned about long term issues with his tooth. But, there is nothing to be done about that now…” McCain sends Van Pelt another email, “Apparently a top canine was broken. Thorry is not totally sure it was from the capture, but most likely it was. Sounds like he fought hard. He was exhausted.”

13. Van Pelt responds, “Just talked to Thorry. The cat weighed 118 pounds but solid and very robust. Appeared in good physical health and walked away fine…”

14. McCain responds, “You should be cautioned that we are not positive that it is Macho B. It is most likely him, but we can’t be sure just yet. A new point just came in. He is still in the same rocky jumble, just moved a little higher.”

15. Van Pelt responds, “If you can, please give me an update tomorrow on the location, general direction of movement, etc.”

16. AZGFD emails capture photos to Childs and McCain. They confirm the collared jaguar is, “our guy,” Macho B by identifying his “Pinocchio” and “Betty Boop” rosettes.

17. Van Pelt assists in drafting the AZGFD news release about Macho B’s capture. See blog roll for the release.

Day 1: February 18, 2009

At approximately 9 AM Smith and Crabb found Macho B trapped in an AZGFD snare. Below is an image of how they found him. It is a difficult picture to decipher but in the black circle; Macho B’s front, left paw is attached to the tree while he lies prone on his right side, facing away from camera. Outside of the black circle and to the left of the frame is Smith pointing the dart rifle at Macho B.

At approximately 9:07 AM Macho B was darted with 400 mg of Telazol and according to Smith, “leapt to his feet, spun around, hissed and growled,” and Crabb or Smith took the photo below.

After about 13 minutes, Macho B was hobbled to be weighed and have his temperature and other vitals taken.

When it was discovered that Macho B’s temperature was four degrees below normal he was then placed on a sweatshirt to buffer him from the frosty ground and then laid out in the sun in an effort to warm him.

After six hours Macho B stumbled/walked away from his capture site; collared and ear-marked. Below is him after a stumble.

After Smith and Crabb collected all their equipment they left and drove to the top of the ranch road to make some calls. Smith first contacted Ron Thompson about the capture and they began, “yelling and hooping” over the phone. According to Thompson, Smith told him, “he felt he had overestimated the weight but handled the capture to the best of his ability, but that the recommended use of Telazol as the preferred capture drug prolonged the animal’s release.” They also discussed “the need for Thorry to immediately notify his supervisor, Kirby Bristow.”

Smith then called Bristow. According to Bristow,  he was “very surprised”  to hear that Thorry had just collared a jaguar. Bristow asked, “if Smith thought it was Macho B and he indicated it was.” Smith told Bristow, “he attached the jaguar collar that McCain had given him and he had removed the VHF transmitter for fear that someone with questionable motives might be able to get the frequency.” They then discussed general details of the capture.

At some point, Smith and/or Crabb leave a phone message for McCain whom is on vacation in Spain.

Capture

The above photo is from the AZGFD website and was taken of Macho B on Feb. 18, 2009 when he was found caught in an AZGFD snare.

On the morning of February 18, 2009 Smith and Crabb met at Bear Valley Ranch to check the AZGFD snares. Upon entering Penasco Canyon, Smith stated: ” We immediately noticed what appeared to be fresh jaguar tracks leading toward the snares. The jaguar tracks passed through the first snare (the one set on Feb. 5 by Smith) but did not deploy because of human tampering.” Smith and Crabb continued down the canyon trail to the next snare and Smith said they found, “a snared adult jaguar laying on the ground not appearing too alarmed at my approach.” Smith then prepared a Telazol dose for a 150lb. jaguar (weight determined by in-person estimation and from photos he had seen of Macho B). “Due to the animal’s quiet state,” Smith prepared a 2.0 cc drug dose going with the lower end of the recommended dose from the JAGCT protocol and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Jaguar Health Program Manual.

From Smith’s testimony: “I approached relatively unchallenged to within about 5 meters and darted the jaguar in the left rump with the appropriate dart pressure set on the Dan-Inject rifle for such a shot with a 3.0 cc dart. The jaguar leapt to its feet, spun around hissed/growled as I backed away. He watched us intently as we backed around the corner out of sight. The jaguar was darted at 9:07 am with a total of 400 mg Telazol. After waiting ten minutes we approached to find him only slightly conscious and three minutes later we began to process the male jaguar. First, “liquid tears” was given to prevent the drying of his eyes; this was done periodically throughout the capture sequence with a cloth placed over the eyes to minimize sun damage. We hobbled the cat to prevent possible injury to him and ourselves and weighed him with a scale. The jaguar weighed 118lbs. (Smith comments he was glad he went with the low dose because of the weight discrepancy between the estimated and the reality). While Crabb fitted the satellite collar (ear tags were also inserted) I took an anal temperature reading and found it to be at the lower end of the safe range (94.8 degrees F) and we then carried the cat into the morning sunlight and placed him on a sweatshirt to buffer him from the cool ground (frost covered the ground). Throughout the capture I checked his steadily increasing temperature, which eventually peaked at 100.4 degrees F. Small cuts/abrasions, mostly on his left rear leg were treated with topical spray and iodine. Both were applied to his swollen snared left fore paw as well.”

In Crabb’s testimony, she stated she noticed the “Pinocchio” rosette on the jaguar and had remembered hearing about the identifying marker so concluded this was one of the previously photographed jaguars. She did not know the “Pinocchio” rosette was used to identify Macho B. Macho B had two identifying rosettes; “Pinocchio” on his right side and “Betty Boop” on his left.

Top Left: The “Betty Boop” rosette is in the middle of his body, close to the spine. A stick at the top of his body is actually pointing at/framing the rosette. Bottom left:  “Pinocchio” rosette.

Smith continued: ” We got biological samples to include some blood, 2 DNA cheek swabs, hair (follicles), and a scat pulled from the colon. Early in his immobilization the jaguar’s respiration rate was 12-16 bpm, increasing to >20 bpm as the drug wore off. Measured heart rate was 120-150 bpm. Obviously an older cat, evidenced by tooth wear, he still had massive upper and lower canines on the right side, a half-broken and worn lower canine on the left side and a missing upper left canine. It was unclear if the tooth was lost during the struggle with the snare or at an earlier point. No tooth was found at the capture site.” Crabb then left to deactivate the rest of the snares and to retrieve and drive Smith’s work truck down the road that dead-ended at the canyon.

Smith concludes: “At 14:58 he lifted his head when touched…and gave us a deep throaty growl, identical to an African lion’s… At 15:03 he was stumbling down canyon. As Telazol takes affect , loss of body controls progresses from the posterior and toward the head. It is in reverse order that an animal recovers. The jaguar was mentally prepared to leave but was having difficulty convincing his rear legs of this. Over the next 25 minutes he gradually recovered more and more and we last saw him walking down canyon.”

Knowledge + Power = Culpability

McCain told the USFWS special agents and Asst. U.S. attorney that, “No one told him to stop or don’t do this.” And he is correct. Absolutely no one in a position of power to affect the AZGFD snaring project did so despite their knowledge that Macho B was vulnerable to being snared during the course of the AZGFD lion/bear snaring project. Their inaction is curious since all these people claimed that Macho B was not targeted for capture or they were unaware he could be captured. Below is a list of those people.

1. Jack Childs, founder of Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project & member of the Jaguar Conservation Team (BJDP was also considered the “research arm” of the JAGCT). Childs was McCain and I’s boss for BJDP. Childs was aware of the location of the snares and that they had been reactivated; that Macho B had been detected in the area; that, according to McCain,  jaguar scat was used occasionally at BJDP camera sites and Childs was also aware that several AZGFD snares were set at BJDP camera sites. Yet, when asked by Tony Davis of the AZ Daily Star about Macho B after his death, Childs wrote the following: “If Macho B had been collared in 2005 at a younger and more vigorous age utilizing the least invasive methodology available (hounds) we would have known his location in Feb. 2009 and would not have been trapping for lions in the area.” But Childs did know and did not contact AZGFD about the possibility of their capturing Macho B through their project in the BJDP’s study area and more importantly, Macho B’s territory, nor did he tell his employee, McCain, to deactivate the snares. Childs was aware of the risk to capture a jaguar through leg hold snares because he chaired a jaguar capture risk assessment committee for JAGCT (Bill Van Pelt of AZGFD was also a member of this committee). “This committee analyzed the potential risks to the jaguar, the capture team, and the public if an attempt was made to radio collar a jaguar.” The committee arrived at the following conclusions on 2-28-05: box trap poses the least risk, hounds pose the second least risk, and leg hold snares are the most risky. The risk assessment also concluded that the use of leg hold snares could cause tendon, joint, tooth, claw, and foot damage to a jaguar.

2. Erin Fernandez, “Jaguar Lead” for the Ecological Services Division of USFWS & member of JAGCT. Fernandez was aware, through emails, that McCain was working for AZGFD on the lion/bear snaring project; that on Jan. 5, 2009 McCain and Bristow had, “been planning the next trapping efforts to be focused in the east and west sides of the Atascosas…” (where Macho B was snared); that North Star had donated a jaguar telemetry collar to McCain; that McCain and Smith were seeking the proper drugs and dosages for a jaguar capture; and that Macho B’s photos and tracks had been detected in Jan. and Feb. 2009 in the Atascosas. Fernandez was also aware that a hunter had killed a collared lion in the Atascosas and the AZGFD snaring project was attempting to collar another animal in that area. That animal turned out to be Macho B. Fernandez is an employee of the USFWS, the agency responsible for endangered species protection and conservation. Yet, she did not reach out to anyone at AZGFD to find out what was going on; why preparations were being made for a jaguar capture; and why AZGFD did not inform her or her agency that they were planning on capturing the only known jaguar to exist in all of the United States.

3. Larry Voyles, Director of AZGFD. Smith went to him before the snares were reactivated on Feb. 4 for advice regarding opening snares in the “jaguar area” (Atascosas). Voyles was also briefed back in Dec. 2008 by AZGFD Endangered Species Coordinator, Terry Johnson, about the potential to capture a jaguar through the lion/bear snaring project. AZGFD was/is the lead agency, in partnership with New Mexico G&F and USFWS, for jaguar conservation. That is a scary thought since Voyles did absolutely nothing for jaguar conservation by ignoring the risk of capturing Macho B during his agency’s lion/bear project.

4. Terry Johnson, AZGFD Endangered Species Coordinator & JAGCT member. From the capture and collar authorization memo that he authored and sent to Voyles on 12-4-08 for review: “Efforts to trap and radio- collar mountain lions in southern Arizona for disease monitoring and movement studies are ongoing. One or more jaguars have been recorded in these study areas over the past several years (as recently as August 2008). Thus, inadvertent capture of a jaguar in a lion set (e.g. snare) is a reasonable possibility. If that occurs, the jaguar would need to be anesthetized to remove it from the set. This would afford an opportunity to place a radio-collar on the jaguar, at no additional risk to the animal.” Johnson was also aware of Macho B’s most recent detections in the Atascosas from Jan. and Feb. 2009. As Endangered Species Coordinator, Johnson was responsible for jaguar conservation yet he did nothing to prevent the possible snaring of Macho B though he, himself, deemed, Macho B “too old” and not a “viable” candidate for capturing and collaring.

5. Bill Van Pelt, AZGFD and JAGCT member. Van Pelt had been approached by 3 people in the weeks before Macho B’s capture inquiring about permits for a jaguar capture. He was told by fellow employee, Thompson, “that snaring was occurring in the area and an animal (jaguar) could be caught as early as that weekend “(First weekend in Feb.). He had been forwarded the email chain regarding McCain and Smith seeking drug and dosage advice for a jaguar capture, and was a recipient of the email notifications regarding Macho B’s latest detections including the photos and tracks from Jan.&Feb. 2009. He, too, was aware of the risks of snaring a jaguar as a member of the risk assessment committee that Childs chaired for JAGCT in 2005.

6. Ron Thompson, AZGFD. McCain regarded Thompson as his “boss” on the snaring project and sought his advice repeatedly with regard to snaring in Macho B’s territory. Thompson was aware of the latest detections of Macho B in the snaring area, including his tracks on the trap line. Thompson assured McCain that AZGFD had the proper permits if a jaguar was captured and provided Smith a copy of AZGFD’s Section 6 permit (authorizing an inadvertent capture of a jaguar). Thomspon did alert Van Pelt and Chasa O’Brien about the possibility of Macho B being captured through the lion/bear study. But, he did not discourage McCain or Smith from snaring in Macho B’s territory or encourage them to speak to their actual “boss” on the snaring project, Kirby Bristow, with regard to Macho B’s detections in the vicinity of the snares.

7. Chasa O’Brien, AZGFD and lead biologist for snaring project. Thompson had told her on several occasions, ” You know, you could incidentally capture a jaguar on this study.” Dr. Aguilar had also forwarded her the email chain from the beginning of Feb. 2009 regarding McCain and Smith seeking drug and dosage advice for a jaguar capture. She was responsible for completing the Environmental Assessment Checklist for the snaring project but never did. Even when Bristow had sought advice about completing an EAC for the snaring project in January 2009, O’Brien did not bring the possibility of capturing a jaguar during the snaring project to the attention of the Habitat Branch whom oversees the EAC process.

8. Kirby Bristow, AZGFD and field supervisor for snaring project. Bristow had been aware from the start about the possibility of capturing a jaguar during the course of the lion/bear study. Yet, he did not give his field team guidance about what to do and whom to notify if there was evidence of a jaguar in the snaring area. As he said, “He does not recall, specifically, telling field team to advise him if they discovered evidence of a jaguar in the study area. Nor did he specifically advise anyone to avoid catching a jaguar at all costs.”

This is what jaguar conservation looks like in Arizona and the United States. Is the negligence demonstrated by the individuals whom were professionally and legally responsible for jaguar conservation indicative of state and federal attitudes towards the conservation of all endangered species?

Draft for Authorization

AZGFD Director, Larry Voyles, lamented to the USFWS special agents after Macho B’s collaring and death, “it was troubling that the AZGFD was aware of a jaguar presence in the same mountain range where AZGFD was trapping for lions and bears and that it was not reported up the chain of command.”

Actually, it was. On December 4, 2008 Endangered Species Coordinator, Terry Johnson, “talked to him (Voyles) about the locational information for Macho B.” They also discussed the possibility of Macho B being snared during the course of the lion and bear study because of his recent detections in the vicinity of the snares. Johnson had stated that at this meeting, both men concurred that Macho B was not a viable candidate for capture because of his old age. And yet, on this same day Johnson drafted an authorization memo to capture and collar a jaguar. The email titled, “Approval to capture and radio-collar a jaguar in Arizona,” was sent from Director Voyles to Johnson and included the decision to authorize capturing a jaguar in Arizona and placing a radio-collar on it. The email references the snaring project and the fact that jaguars have been documented in the snaring area (“as recently as August 2008”). And states that “inadvertent capture of a jaguar in a lion set (e.g.snare) is a reasonable possibility.”  The conversation about possibly capturing Macho B and the drafting of the authorization to capture and collar a jaguar took place two and a half months before Macho B was snared by AZGFD. According to Voyles, “he felt there was also not a directive requiring the project stopped if there was ever any knowledge of a jaguar presence in the area.” Well, why not? He and Johnson had every opportunity for two and a half months to get in touch with the snaring field team and/or their supervisors to halt the snaring in Macho B’s territory and move the snares to a new location (Bristow had picked several other mountain ranges as snaring possibilities, several of which a jaguar had not been documented in decades, if ever). If Macho B truly was not a target of the AZGFD why did Voyles and Johnson do nothing about the possibility of snaring Macho B? Instead, they rolled the dice until they landed at Johnson’s feet several months later in the form of Jack Childs declaring, “We did it! Got a collar on Macho B.”

Re: Capture and Collar Memo

On 12-5-08 an email was authored by former AZGFD Endangered Species Coordinator (for Mexican Gray Wolves and Jaguar), Terry Johnson. The recipients of the email were: Tim Snow (AZGFD and member of Jaguar Conservation Team; JAGCT), Bill van Pelt (AZGFD, JAGCT), Ron Thompson (AZGFD), Jack Childs (BJDP, JAGCT), and Emil McCain (AZGFD sub-contractor, BJDP, JAGCT). In the email, Johnson tells the recipients he has spoken with AZGFD Director, Larry Voyles, the previous day about Macho B and that he is, “putting the final touches on an authorization to capture and collar memo.”

All AZGFD employees interviewed during AZGFD’s administrative investigation into the snaring and death of Macho B were granted the Garrity Warning, immunity from prosecution. During Mr. Johnson’s Garrity interview (available under blog roll) he spoke about meeting AZGFD Director Voyles for a yearly briefing about wolves and the jaguar and they had discussed Macho B being too old for capture (capture of a jaguar had been recommended by JAGCT in 2006). Yet, here was an email specifically referencing Macho B and an authorization to capture and collar him. Mr. Johnson later told the USFWS special agents that the authorization to capture and collar memo was part of his to do list in regards to his jaguar responsibilities. He said a “decision package” about the authorization memo never occurred nor the briefing with the Governor. Johnson again stated that he and Voyles had decided Macho B was not a viable candidate for capture because of his age (by his estimation to be 13-15 years) and that he had to figure out a way to break that to Childs and McCain, the biggest cheerleaders for doing so.  Mr. Johnson stated he never got the chance to tell Childs and McCain about Macho B because he was waiting until the JAGCT meeting in February. But, at that point it was too late because Childs approached Johnson before the meeting to inform him that Macho B had been snared and collared the day before.

According to Voyles: Johnson came to him when the lion/bear study was not active in Nov. or Dec. 2008, and stated there was a possibility that a jaguar might be captured during the study. Johnson expressed a desire to have the capability to collar a jaguar should one get caught in a snare and wanted to work with the USFWS to be allowed to collar it. The conversation was intended to be prepared for an inadvertent capture and not intended for the pursuit of a jaguar capture. Voyles also thought discussions about capturing a jaguar also occurred between USFWS and AZGFD after his meeting with Johnson.

For the record, when anyone refers to a “jaguar” in AZ they are really referring to Macho B. He was the only jaguar to be documented in southern AZ from 2004 until his death in 2009.

The Merge

When McCain was hired for the AZGFD project in October 2008 Macho B had not been photographed by BJDP since July 25, 2007 and his tracks had last been documented October 30, 2007. Both documentations occurred between thirty and forty miles north of the border. McCain and I wondered if he had died while Childs reminded us that Macho B had been absent for long periods before.

Sometime around McCain’s hiring into AZGFD he asked me about good camera sites in the Patagonia and Atascosa Mountains for documenting lions and bears (I was responsible for maintaining BJDP’s photolog). He was figuring out which areas to target for the snaring project.  I gave him a few options in both areas and he threw out one more in the Atascosa range. He specifically wanted to target Penasco Canyon in hopes of snaring a new jaguar that might come in to take over Macho B’s territory if he was truly dead (Penasco had a history of jaguar usage). McCain then offered to try and get me involved with the AZGFD snaring project. I declined.

The snaring began in the Patagonia Mountains. McCain was responsible for choosing the snare sites, activating and monitoring the snares and the handling and collaring of any animals trapped. Some of the snaring equipment belonged to AZGFD and some belonged to McCain. He choose several sites in close proximity to BJDP cameras and several at the exact spot where cameras were located. Despite McCain and Childs telling the USFWS special agents that BJDP was not working with AZGFD on the snaring project, in my opinion, the moment a snare was placed anywhere near a BJDP camera site the projects merged. AZGFD was depending on BJDP’s camera data and their biologist for information that guided where their research study was going to take place. If the projects were truly separate then AZGFD would have done their own camera monitoring to determine the most productive snare sites for the objectives of their study. Even Kirby Bristow (lead AZGFD field biologist for snaring project) referred to BJDP as a “cooperator” on the lion and bear study. He stated further that “McCain was given access to study lion/bear collar data and AZGFD wanted to use BJDP data and game camera photos for the study.”

Smith and McCain snared several animals in the Patagonias and then the snares were de-activated (snares remained in situ in the field but were decommissioned so an animal could not be caught). McCain then moved over to the Atascosas, and with the help of his father, activated four snares; three in Penasco Canyon. They snared a young, female lion at the lone snare in another canyon right at a BJDP camera site. They ran the snares in the Atascosas through the first week of November.

On November 10, I and another volunteer went to check BJDP camera sites a few miles north of the snaring area and picked up the first picture of Macho B taken in over a year. He had been photographed in the area August 2. Two days later McCain and his father picked up another photo of Macho B several miles north in the Tumacacori Mountains. That photo was dated July 29. In 2006, Macho B had been documented traveling from an area south of the snare sites to this camera site in the T-cocks in twenty-four hours.

Now it was confirmed: Macho B was alive and had recently roamed in the BJDP and AZGFD’s study areas.