Ocelots - Monica Knox

      Roaming across a vast array of biomes during the night seeking prey and catching up on its beauty sleep during the day, the ocelot remains to be one of the few wild cat species on the planet. This predator of the night is a key stone species in whichever of the many ecosystems in inhabits, as it is a carnivore that tends to hunt animals such as rodents, rabbits, birds, baby deer, snakes, and even fish while it roams for many miles during the night.  The ocelot tends to weigh between 30 to 40 pounds, can be between 3 to 4.5 feet in length, and lives between 7 to 10 years. It is a K-strategist species with an approximately 80-day gestation period where they give birth to between 1 to 3 kittens and raise them for at least a year. They can thrive in almost any biome with populations in semi-arid dry scrubs and grasslands, dense thorny chaparrals, tropical forests, coastal mangroves, and even swamp forests. The ocelot can be easily recognized by its beautiful orange, tan, and white coat covered in dark markings that are unique to each individual.

Where do these furry friends come from and what is their population like?

Originally having populations ranging from Southern Texas through central and south America into Northern Argentina, the ocelot has been one of the few wild cat species to be able to inhabit so many different ecosystems in the Americas. There are currently an estimated 1.5 million to 800,000 individuals left in the world and have a declining population trend, especially in the United States and Northern Mexico. Currently, two small populations remain in the US; one ranging from Southern Texas into Tamaulipas, Mexico and the other ranging from Northern Arizona into Sonora, Mexico. The Texas Tamaulipas ocelots are also divided into two separate populations. It is also believed that Ocelots may have had populations in California and Florida because of fossil records. As of 2015, there are only 53 known individuals in the Texas-Tamaulipas population and there have only been 5 known individuals to be seen in Arizona, one of which was documented after a roadkill accident.        

As a part of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Ocelot was listed as endangered in the United States in 1990 and remains on the list, along with being registered with the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, and is placed on the Red List produced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.   

Why are ocelot populations declining? 

The main cause of the species population decline comes from habitat loss due to habitat conversion and fragmentation from agriculture, urban sprawl and roads, especially in the United States. In fact, almost 95% of the ocelot’s historic habitat has been converted for agriculture or urban development. Ocelots also face threats from poachers, who hunt them for fur, and from the exotic pet trade. As a result of their declining populations, they also face problems with a lack of genetic diversity, which makes them more susceptible to diseases, more likely to inbreed, more affected by catastrophic events, and results in an overall reduction on fitness. There is also little enforcement of the existing regulations created to protect the ocelot. 

How are we going to save them? 

The overall goal of the Ocelot Recovery Plan is to restore and protect the ocelot’s habitat and its population so that it can sustain itself long term, resulting in the species being taken off of the endangered and threatened species lists. In order to be removed from the endangered and threatened species lists, the ocelot must meet the ‘least concern’ IUCN Red-List criteria for at least 10 years with stable or increasing population numbers and a reduction in threats from habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as poaching. Additionally, the Texas-Tamaulipas meta-population must sustain at least 200 individuals in Texas and 1,000 in Tamaulipas for at least ten years and can be distributed between one or two meta-populations for the Texas ocelots and it is preferred that there be immigration and exchanges between the Texas and Tamaulipas populations. In addition, the Arizona-Sonora population must also maintain a minimum of 1,000 individuals over a ten-year period as well.

            In order to achieve these goals, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to begin their conservation efforts through assessment, protection, and restoration of a habitat suitable for ocelots in the borderlands of Mexico and Texas. They also want to reduce the effects of human population growth and development on the ocelot’s survival and reproduction in the wild, as well as improve their genetic fitness, demographics, and health in order to ensure long term vitality. They also plan on creating and implementing incentives for landowners, enforcing regulations, and practicing more public education and outreach. In addition, their strategy will be adaptive, meaning that the ocelot recovery will be monitored and reactionary actions will be taken whenever necessary.

How to Help:

• donate money to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• volunteer to participate in habitat restoration
• advocate for wildlife through petitions, letters, and protests 
• stay informed on issues pertaining to ocelots
• Symbolically Adopt an Ocelot

Want to Learn More? 

Defenders of Wildlife Blog

National Geographic

Sources: 

 "Endangered Ocelots - Texas - International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada." International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

 Gregory, Alan. Ocelot Crossing Sign. Digital image. Alan Gregory's Conservation News. N.p., 23 Oct. 2012. Web.

Ocelot Crouching. Digital image. Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

 Ocelot Fur Coat. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

 Ocelot Range Map. Digital image. Defenders of Wildlife. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.