Macho B's captor gets off with probation, fine

Photo courtesy Arizona Game & Fish

Emil McCain, the man who captured jaguar Macho B, whose subsequent death triggered outrage from animal-rights groups, pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to prohibited take of an endangered species.

But McCain, a biologist working for the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project, was only fined $1,000 and sentenced to five years' probation with the condition that he cannot be involved in any large cat or carnivore project or study in the United States during that time.

McCain admitted that in February of 2009 he illegally placed jaguar scat in the Atascosa Mountains near Ruby and directed a woman to place jaguar scat at snare sites that were authorized to snare only mountain lions and bears.

McCain knew the jaguar was in the area because photos of the endangered cat had been taken in the area in the weeks leading up to its capture. The U.S. attorney said he had no authorization to trap the cat.

"One of the state officials employed to protect our endangered wildlife instead endangered this same wildlife. The community was rightfully outraged, U.S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke said.

Macho B was released after his initial capture but was recaptured and euthanized a month later after the determination was made that it was suffering kidney failure.

Medical records later showed that the last known wild jaguar in the United States was more likely dehydrated, and giving the animal a little water probably would have been sufficient to save his life.

The man pictured above is not McCain.