Happy Ocelot Conservation Day! March 8th is Ocelot Conservation Day, where we can celebrate these stripped and spotted cats!
The ocelot, or Leopardus pardalis, are small cats that roam from southern Texas to northern Argentina, overlapping with the jaguars and pumas (IUCN Ocelot, 2021). They are currently listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as least concern with a decreasing population trend (IUCN Ocelot, 2021). They prefer thick vegetation such as dense chaparral or tropical rain forests which allows lots of places to hide (SDZ Animals and Plants Ocelot, 2021).
Ocelots face threats such as habitat loss, poaching for their furs and conflicts with other larger predators. Researchers believe there may only be 100 ocelots living in the United States (SDZ Animals and Plants Ocelot, 2021). For one coat to be made of ocelot fur, as many as 25 ocelots must be killed (SDZ Animals and Plants Ocelot, 2021). In 1972 it became illegal to bring ocelots and their skins into the United States and a few other countries (SDZ Animals and Plants Ocelot, 2021).
Keep an eye out this spring for the release of American Ocelot, a new documentary about the ocelots that roam throughout Texas. Wild Film Tour put this documentary together and it was directed by Ben Masters.
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a way where you can become an ocelot. Their philanthropic group, named the Ocelots, enthusiastically supports the mission of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance through active involvement and a commitment to education and fund-raising. Ocelots donate funds to the Ocelots Grants Program, which allows purchases of much-needed enrichment items, special pieces of equipment and research activities in the field as well as the Zoo and Safari Park. The Ocelots Grants Program supports all wildlife within San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and their partners in the field. If you are a member of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance join the Ocelots today! If you wish to donate to the Ocelots Grants Program, visit their donation page.
You can help ocelots by ensuring they have a healthy habitat to roam, by not buying ocelot furs and by not owning an ocelot as a pet. The World Wildlife Fund allows you to symbolically adopt an ocelot. You can also symbolically adopt an ocelot through Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Visit Texas Native Cats to see how else you can get involved to help the ocelots of Texas.
If you live in Texas, you can support ocelots by getting an ocelot license plate for your car.
Make sure you celebrate Ocelot Conservation Day every March 8th!
Literature Cited:
Animalogic. (20201, September 11). Ocelot: The mini jaguar [Video]. YouTube.
International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. (2021). Ocelot: Leopardus pardalis.
San Diego Zoo. (2021). Animals and plants: Ocelot.
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