That’s “small” in the sense that the cat isn’t in Panthera, the big-cat genus — jaguars are the only native American pantherine.
There are two more tropical American cats to go in this series, both of them actually rather large.
Let’s start with the spotted one. It does look like a big cat, doesn’t it — until you realize that those aren’t gigantic leaves around it, just regular old rainforest shrubbery.
Nevertheless, it has a profound effect on the other small tropical cats (and on one hapless canid, per a video at that link).
That snarl is not merely a passing mood!
We were introduced to ocelots with a video last year.
Today, let’s focus on another question that many of us have about this beautiful cat — are they in the United States?
Yes, according to this twelve-year-old video from Texas conservationists, but there aren’t many of them.
Steel yourself, if needed, for a few closeups of snakes, scorpions, and spiders at the start.
Wildlife conservationists look for a breeding population when trying to protect any endangered cat, and four years ago, they got some good news:
Humans are doing everything they can to help, including this…
Here’s the backstory. I don’t know if this 2021 breeding attempt was successful — there are reportedly many challenges to this approach.
…but the following US Fish and Wildlife video from seven months ago notes that only about fifty wild ocelots are known to be out there now:
Meanwhile, in Colombia…
More information:
- Cat Specialist Group page
- Panthera.org feature
- Albino ocelot news story.
- The difference between albino and white house cats.
Some lagniappe:
This one is emotionally intense, per the review, as is its trailer:
…so let’s close on a slightly more positive note:
Featured image: Ronald Plett/Pixabay, public domain.
Flight To Wonder 