It's taken more than 60 years but jaguars have finally started making their way back to what once was the northernmost part of their range - the American southwest. Where have they been? South of the border, 120 miles south to be exact, in the Mexican state of Sonora, where those who escaped hunting were driven by development and agriculture in the 1940's. But now habitat loss in Mexico, conflict with Mexican cattle ranchers and national security activities along the U.S.-Mexico border are presenting a new set of challenges that could jeopardize a happy homecoming for these endangered cats.

The Philadelphia Zoo has joined the collective efforts of Naturalia, A.C., the Northern Jaguar Project and the Wildlands Project to find ways of reconciling jaguar habitat needs with the social, economic and political needs of the United States and Mexico. The Mexico Jaguar Project, one of the Zoo's newest conservation initiatives, is working to bring jaguars home safely. More >