Page 7 - American Jaguar; Big Cats, Biogeography, and Human Borders

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In the Borderlands between the United States and Mexico, the jaguar
is fighting to regain its natural habitat. Some say the jaguar has made
a triumphant return to the United States. Others say the jaguar never
left—the big cat was here all along, hiding in the most remote areas of
the Borderlands.
In the twenty-first century, the jaguar lives in a changing world.
Fences, roads, cities, and towns divide the cat’s realm. Copper mines
and farmland further cut up its natural habitat. Even with all these
changes, the jaguar still faces its greatest challenge yet: the border wall
between the United States and Mexico, should it ever be completed,
will ensure the big cat never steps foot in the United States again.
Habitat fragmentation, or breaking up an animal’s vast territory
into smaller unconnected sections, threatens many wild animals. In
fact, it might be the biggest threat to all wildlife across the globe. The
jaguar is not alone in suffering from the effects of all these changes to
the land through habitat fragmentation. The pronghorn antelope and
bighorn sheep, as well as the diamondback rattlesnake, the burrowing
owl, the spadefoot toad, the monarch butterfly, and countless others are
all at risk. Border walls, highways, and other human barriers prevent all
of these species from moving freely across their natural landscapes to
find food, water, shelter, and mates, directly affecting their populations.
Climate change threatens to push many species even further toward the
brink. To adapt to changes in temperature and the ecological changes
that follow, animals must be able to move freely and without obstacles
to areas where they can survive. Scientists and citizens alike are
working hard to reconnect landscapes in the Borderlands and beyond.
Connections across landscapes—and across human borders—are more
important than ever. For some creatures, their very future may depend
on it.

WELCOME TO THE BORDERLANDS 7