At least two jaguars have been photographed since late August in southern Arizona, offering new evidence that the endangered cats at least sometimes roam into Arizona from Mexico.

The cats’ full bodies and trademark spotted coats are visible in four nighttime shots by an automated camera near the border, south of Tucson. It’s unclear if the secretive animals are living in Arizona or visiting from Mexico, wildlife officials said.

Jaguars were regularly shot by hunters in the American Southwest in the 20th century. About 70 to 100 jaguars continue to live in Mexico about 135 miles south of Douglas.

Each jaguar has a unique coat pattern, and Arizona Game and Fish Department officials have concluded that one of the cats filmed in September is the same animal caught on film in 2001 and 2003.

The recent sightings do not necessarily mean jaguar activity is on the rise. More motion- and heat-activated cameras have been recently installed, bringing the total number of devices to 30.

Jaguars may travel up to 500 miles searching for food or a mate, but the size of their territory may be as small as 10 square miles. —