Thursday , July 31, 2008
by Jody Mays, Biologist, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
The most southern tip of Texas is home to a beautiful, wild cat whose leopard-like spots camouflage it well within its home of dense South Texas brush. The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is about the size of a bobcat and it spends its days resting in brush so thorny that humans don’t dare go through it willingly. They are shy, highly territorial, solitary animals with a range thought to extend as wide as nine miles. Like so many other cat species, the ocelot clearly marks its territory with urine signaling its boundaries to others.
Ocelots typically have one to two kittens every year. Like domestic kittens, ocelot kittens are born blind and helpless, and they are highly dependent on their mother for the first few months. They remain in their mother’s territory until about one year of age, when they must leave and safely find a new territory that is not occupied or they must be strong enough to take over another ocelot’s territory.
The ocelot once graced the American landscape through much of Texas and portions of Arizona, Louisiana and Arkansas. Today, their range in the United States is limited to the Rio Grande Valley where fewer than 100 individuals are estimated to remain. The largest known population of 25-35 animals occurs on and in the vicinity of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), 90,000 acres of publicly owned lands known as the ‘last great habitat’ in Texas.
There are many threats that challenge the continued existence of this small cat. What were once large, contiguous tracts of dense, brushy vegetation have become increasingly smaller tracts spaced further apart. Because the Valley is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation, more and more of these tracts of brush are being cleared, criss-crossed with roads, populated with housing developments and fences. Concrete barriers on an increasing number of roads and plans to build a border fence along the U.S.-Mexico border could create further obstacles to ocelot movement.
Ocelots are more likely to die as a result of being hit by a car than anything else so animals in search of food, trying to find a mate, or hoping to establish new territories are at great risk. Without corridors of brush that connect fragmented areas, these cats have become isolated into small pocket populations. This isolation leads to inbreeding and a loss of genetic diversity that makes them more vulnerable to disease, genetic defects, and other risks.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is working with many partners to protect and restore native brush, as well as to create corridors of habitat that connect existing protected areas. The Service’s Ocelot Recovery Team has a Recovery Plan for this highly endangered animal that includes current research on their movements, habitat connectivity, genetic health, and other information. This information is continually assessed and used to address impacts, as well as to make recommendations to ensure the ocelot’s full recovery. Safe Harbor agreements assist private landowners interested in habitat protection and ocelot conservation on their lands. The Service is also working with the Texas Department of Transportation to install wildlife crossings underneath roads that will allow ocelots and other wildlife to cross safely.
Efforts to promote community awareness and encourage local conservation have also been a priority of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Laguna Atascosa NWR. A non-profit organization, the Friends of Laguna Atascosa Refuge, has created an Adopt-an-Ocelot program through which the public can symbolically “adopt” an ocelot with the entirety of the contribution going to ocelot recovery efforts. The Friends also work with the Laguna Atascosa NWR to help host the annual Ocelot Conservation Festival. The festival, which will be held on Saturday, February 9th at the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, provides an opportunity for area students, visitors, conservation partners, and residents of local communities to have a close-up encounter with a live ocelot. The event highlights the challenges facing these elusive and endangered cats and promotes local efforts to protect and recover their fragile populations. All proceeds from the festival go to benefit ocelot conservation, education, and research.
Continued research and a growing awareness will hopefully ensure the ocelot will be around for future generations to enjoy. If you haven’t already, please make it a point to come out and visit your refuge, Laguna Atascosa NWR, and home to this beautiful little cat, the ocelot.
Hope to see you at the Ocelot Conservation Festival on Saturday, February 9th!