Gorgeous and exceptionally rare wild big cat is caught on trail camera roaming the hills above Arizona
An incredibly rare and majestic adult jaguar was spotted skulking the mountains of Arizona in stunning trail camera footage.The jungle cat, nicknamed Cinco, was recorded roaming the remote Sky Islands of Tucson on May 4 by the University of Arizona's Wild Cat Research Center.Cinco was the fifth of the endangered species to be spotted in the area since the state began research 15 years ago, reported AZ Central. The feline was first seen traipsing across the Mexican border in November and has been detected in the area more than 15 times since then, according to the Wild Cat Research Center. According to a press release from the Center for Biological Diversity's Southwest Conservation Advocate, Russ McSpadden this sighting demonstrated how confined the jaguar population has become. 'Seeing this incredible jaguar roaming in Arizona's wild Sky Islands is a powerful reminder that these cats belong in the American Southwest and northern Mexico,' he said. Jaguars were labeled endangered in 1997, prompting conservation efforts across the American Southwest and Mexico. While the ferocious cats used to extend as far north as the Grand Canyon, they are now typically spotted in Southern Arizona, close to the Mexican border. An endangered jaguar, known as Cinco, was spotted on a trail camera by the University of Arizona's Wild Cat Research CenterMcSpadden explained that conservation efforts now require cooperation between governments, conservation groups and Indigenous peoples in the US and Mexico.The Cinco sighting in Tucson, however, is a positive indication that the American jaguar population is extending their range. However, McSpadden said the president's Mexican border wall stands in the way of allowing the North American jaguar population to reunite with one another. 'Tragically, jaguars' northern range is being ripped apart by Trump's border wall construction, along with mining, groundwater depletion and climate-driven drought,' he said.'We need to take urgent action to protect our vital cross-border ecosystems so jaguars can continue prowling the southern Arizona landscape alongside bears, pumas and ringtails. A landscape this wild is too precious to sacrifice.'In the past few years, the center's data collection has shown that jaguars are appearing more frequently further North. Center for Biological Diversity's Southwest Conservation Advocate Russ McSpadden (pictured) said the sighting was a 'powerful reminder' of the scope of jaguar endangermentWhen he had only been spotted every few months previously, Cinco was seen on the trail camera three times in 2026 alone.His path also revealed 'consistent corridor use,' according to the research center, which is a positive marker for the country's ecosystem. 'The jaguar is an “umbrella” species. An umbrella species is a species that is an overall indicator of ecosystem health,' the center wrote on social media.'Our environmental DNA research is currently revealing remarkable biodiversity within these same Sky Islands, never before documented in these corridors.'Chairman of the San Xavier Tohono O'odham Nation, Austin Nunez, said those within his indigenous tribe have prayed for the return of jaguars like Cinco. 'Jaguars are protectors of the people and are a part of our spiritual life and our connection to this land,' he said. 'Seeing a jaguar still moving through these mountains gives me hope for future generations and reminds us of our responsibility to protect these majestic animals and the places they depend on.' Cinco has been spotted on the trail camera multiple times in 2026 alone. Typically, he was seen once every few yearsJaguars are the third-largest cat in the world after tigers and lions. They have disappeared from the US over the last 150 years due to factors such as hunting and predator eradication programs. The Daily Mail contacted the Center for Biological Diversity and the Wild Cat Research Center for more information.
