Page 6 - American Jaguar; Big Cats, Biogeography, and Human Borders

Glenn took out his camera. He began snapping photos of the big cat.
Glenn’s images would become the first photographs of a living wild
jaguar in the United States.
The chase soon resumed, and the hunter and his hounds followed
the big cat through the mountains. Occasionally, the dogs got too close
and the massive beast would hold its ground, spitting and swiping at
the pursuing hounds. Glenn wanted to get closer but grew concerned
for his dogs. One swing from a frightened and cornered jaguar could
easily kill a small dog.
After several hours of pursuit—and a host of remarkable photos—
Glenn and his dogs eventually lost the cat’s trail. The chase was over as
quickly as it began. The jaguar vanished back into the wilds.
Days later, Glenn’s photos made the local papers. It wasn’t long
before his encounter with a jaguar made national headlines too. Over
the next few years, several other jaguars would be seen roaming the
Borderlands. The jaguar had returned to the United States.

Since Warner Glenn’s groundbreaking photos were taken, scientists have
installed cameras around the US-Mexico border to capture more images
of jaguars.

6 AMERICAN JAGUAR