View From Casita Colibrí

Mexican authorities have confirmed that a jaguar has been spotted for the first time near Mitla.

According to Mexico’s National Commission for Protected Areas (CONANP), the jaguar caught on camera is the first one confirmed to exist in the area of San Pablo Villa de Mitla, which is part of the 4,900-hectare Yagul and Mitla Natural Monument.

Pavel Palacios Chavez, an administrator at Yagul and Mitla Natural Monument, said the jaguar likely migrated through heavily forested and mountainous areas from Oaxaca’s Sierra Juarez mountain range.

“There hadn’t been a sighting in this area of the central valleys. It’s a high-altitude zone that is connected to the Sierra Juarez. We believe that it’s this connectivity between the forests of Sierra Juarez and the forests of this part of the valley that has facilitated the transfer of this species,” he said.

Authorities detected the jaguar – North America’s largest feline – using remote cameras which were left attached to trees and other vegetation. They allowed conservationists to observe the movement of animals throughout the night.  [Read full article and watch video HERE]

Hmmm… I wonder what brought the jaguar down from the Sierra Juárez?  I hope it stays away from local livestock and finds its way back up into the mountains.