Arizona man pleads guilty in jaguar’s death
From AzCentral.com
Arizona man pleads guilty in jaguar’s death
TUCSON - A southern Arizona biologist has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor federal charge for his role in the 2009 trapping and subsequent death of a rare jaguar known as “Macho B.”
Emil McCain of Patagonia entered his plea to illegally “taking” an endangered species on Friday and was immediately sentenced to five years’ probation. The U.S. attorney’s office in Phoenix says the 31-year-old McCain was also barred from being employed or involved in any project or job involving large wild cats.
McCain worked with the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project. A Game and Fish employee who worked with him has been fired.
Macho B was trapped on Feb. 18, 2009, fitted with a radio collar and released. The jaguar was recaptured due to health problems and euthanized on March 2, 2009. It was the only known wild jaguar in the United States.
