In the fascinating animal kingdom, a North American jaguar named “El Jefe” embodies tales of survival, strength, and cunning.

Not often associated with the North American continent, this majestic creature allegedly crossed the northern Mexico border to arrive in southern Arizona in 2011.

BREAKING: the famous wild jaguar named El Jefe who lived in Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains from 2011-2015 has reappeared through remote camera detection 7 years later in central Sonora, Mexico. He has traveled hundreds of miles & crossed the border twice. pic.twitter.com/YX5jNpjCFx

— Russ McSpadden (@PeccaryNotPig) August 4, 2022

How the jaguar transformed into the bear hunter

El Jefe, Spanish for “The Boss,” lived up to its name. This jaguar roamed southern Arizona’s mountains, breached the US-Mexico border fence, and frequently hunted black bears. You heard that right: bears.

This confrontation showed North American jaguars were not just bear hunters, but remarkably skilled ones.

As large, strong, and tenacious apex predators, adult black bears face few natural threats.

However, the North American jaguar overcame these intimidating foes. This extraordinary predation is a testament to the jaguar’s skill, strength, and adaptability.

Jaguars use a distinct hunting technique, delivering a powerful skull bite with their robust jaws and canines. While seemingly brutal, this method is incredibly effective, allowing them to take down prey larger and stronger than themselves, like the bear.

Rumors suggest that 12-year-old El Jefe could still be alive, possibly traversing between Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, with the most recent sighting reported in 2021.

Photographs collected over the years identify jaguars like “El Jefe” by their unique spot patterns, similar to human fingerprints.

Get up close with a jaguarundi, the otter cat

Featured Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/United States Fish and Wildlife Service