Jaguar rests in a tree. Credit: Advocat, Creative Comms.

April 2019
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released the completed Jaguar Recovery Plan.  The agency and its partners in the bi-national Jaguar Recovery Team can recover the jaguar, but it will take time, effort, and collaboration with partners across the species’ 19-country range. The Jaguar Recovery Plan sets goals for improving the species status across its range and provides a framework for achieving recovery. 

Here in the Southwest, male jaguars from a core breeding population in Mexico occasionally occupy mountain ranges along our southern border.  The Service has established strong working relationships with state and local partners, conservation groups, and the Mexican government to address primary factors contributing to the jaguars decline and its status as endangered.

Read the news release.
Learn more about the Jaguar.
Read the FAQs.
Read the Final Recovery Plan

Read the entire news release.

A biologist wearing an aviator's jumpsuit and helmet carries a sedated Mexican wolf during the annual count. Credit: Mark Davis, USFWS.

April 2019
The recent Mexican wolf count indicates that the population of Mexican wolves has increased by 12 percent since last year, raising the total number of wolves in the wild to a minimum of 131 animals. That number is among the findings of the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team (IFT), a task force comprising federal, state and international partners. Among the IFT’s findings: 131 wolves are nearly evenly distributed – 64 wolves in Arizona and 67 in New Mexico.

Read the 2018 Mexican wolf count news release.
Learn more about the Mexican wolf.

A Service special agent and an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation captain excavated five tiger carcasses that were illegally taken by the defendant. Credit: USFWS.

"Joe Exotic" Convicted for Murder-For-Hire Plot & 17 Wildlife Crime Violations

Apri 2019
A jury found Joseph Maldonado, aka “Joe Exotic,” guilty after only a few hours of deliberation. Included in his several crimes was hiring a person to kill a woman in Florida and shooting, killing, and burying five tigers.

Read the DOJ press release, “Joe Exotic” Convicted Of Muder-For-Hire and Violating Both The Lacey And Endangered Species Act.

April 2019
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the red-crowned parrot and the Chihuahua scurfpea do not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Today’s decision, known as a 12-month finding, follows an in-depth review under the ESA. After examining the best scientific and commercial information available, including recently completed species status assessments (SSA), the Service determined the red-crowned parrot and the Chihuahua scurfpea are not in danger of extinction (endangered) or likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future (threatened).

Read the bulletin on the red-crowned parrot.
Read additional information on the red-crowned parrot.

Read the bulletin on the Chihuahua scurfpea.
Read additional information on the Chihuahua scurfpea.

American burying beetle. Credit: © Jay Pruett.

March 2019
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to extend the American Burying Beetle Industry Conservation Plan (ABB ICP) application by five years. Extending the ICP timeframe allows industry to minimize or avoid delays for projects and potential impacts to federally listed species. The Notice will publish in the Federal Register on Thursday, March 14, 2019, and public comments will be accepted until April 15, 2019.

Additional information is available on the Oklahoma Ecological website.
( https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/oklahoma/ABBICP.htm ).
Read the news release.
Read the FAQs
Read the Federal Register Notice

U.S. Fish adn Wildlife Offie of Law Enforcement Special Agent badge. Credit: USFWS.

Seven Charged for an International Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

March 2019
A federal grand jury returned a 38-count indictment against four American and three Filipino defendants for violating federal laws including the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. They are accused of creating counterfeit Native American jewelry in the Philippines, smuggling the pieces into the U.S., and fraudulently selling them to U.S. customers as authentic Native American made jewelry.

The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) promotes the economic development of American Indians and Alaska Natives of federally recognized Tribes through the expansion of the Indian arts and crafts market. The USFWS OLE enforces the laws that regulate this trade.

Read the Department of Justice Press Release

Houston wildlife inspectors demonstrate carved and uncarved elephant tusks. Credit: USFWS.

March 2019
During this Virtually Wild! Texas (VW!T) live-stream program, students in class and hospital room settings learned how US Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife inspectors in Houston are able to identify the real from the fake and combat the trafficking of wildlife on a daily basis. Through virtual engagement, students also learned about this important career and what they can do to help stop wildlife trafficking. VW!T is a nature program hosted by the Houston Community Partnerships & Engagement, The Nature Conservancy in Texas and Region 4 Education Service Center.

Watch the video.