Group sues for jaguar recovery

A conservation group filed suit in federal court demanding that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designate critical habitat and create a recovery plan for endangered American jaguars.

Although the government listed the jaguar as an endangered species in 1997, it did not initiate recovery planning or designate critical habitat, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed the suit in Tucson.

Critical habitat designation means naming geographical areas that may require special management to help endangered or threatened species. Fish and Wildlife spokesman Chris Tollefson declined to comment on the lawsuit.