The endangered Mexican jaguar gets areprieve with the recent down payment for Rancho Zetasora.

Some 45,000 acres of critical breeding habitat are one step closer to belonging to the Mexican jaguar. It came down to the eleventh hour for Oscar Moctezuma and his staff at Naturalia,one of the leading jaguar protection organizations in North America. Despite delays such as last minute negotiations and deed-related legalities, at the end of the day, on July 3, 2007,Naturalia delivered the down payment and signed the closing documents which made official the purchase of Rancho Zetasorain northern Mexico.

Not surprisingly, most land sales of this magnitude come with years of future payments. In this case, a final payment of another $900,000 is now due by January 31, 2008. But according to Moctezuma, two large obstacles - making the down payment and clearing the sale requirements - are now behind him. Rancho Zetasora is on the road to being protected forever and another step has been taken to protect connectivity along the Spine of the Continent between northern Mexico and the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona.

The Zetasora seller was willing to complete the deal with Naturalia if the conservation organization could come up with the approximate $900,000 down payment. Joining forces to raise the necessary funds were special interest organizations and funders across the country: Defenders of Wildlife, the Northern Jaguar Project, the Philadelphia Zoo, and the Wildlands Project. But even with this widespread support, more funding was necessary and the deadline for the sale was quickly approaching.

Aware that time was running out to secure this keystone property within the jaguars northernmost breeding grounds, the Wildlands Project, in early 2007, was fortunate to have the opportunity to speak directly with two organizations wishing to support jaguar recovery. With the help of Biohiplia ($50,000) and Exbiblio ($13,000) the down payment goal was reached.

Even with this victory, a reality still exists: numerous other conservation strategies must be implemented to save the Mexican jaguar and its habitat, including more land purchases. Protection of habitat for jaguars and all the other species that share their realm, including bobcat, quail, and gila monster, remains a primary focus for the Wildlands Project.

Recognizing the importance of jaguars as a keystone species requiring landscape connectivity, the Wildlands Project has developed close working relationships with its partners focused on finding ways to give this wild beauty room to roam. In the words of Wildlands Project Western Director Kim Vacariu, a miracle happened just a few months ago when he and a group of U.S. and Mexican jaguar biologists met after the Spine of the Continent workshop in Phoenix. In a single working session, they produced the first comprehensive Jaguar Corridor Map showing movement routes between Rancho Zetasora and southern Arizona. The Arizona Game and Fish Department has now adopted this map for use in the Jaguar Conservation Teams soon-to-bereleased Jaguar Conservation Framework document.

According to Executive Director Margo McKnight, The jaguars future in Northern Mexico and its repatriation into the U.S. depends upon committed individuals and exemplary leaders like Richard Pritzlaff of Biophilia and Martin King, founder of Exbiblio, whose staff is also very committed. It is Wildlands Projects job to provide the vision, science and jaguar corridor mapping while spreading the word and securing funding. Our team is growing, and we hope our readers will join us.