Ocelots have been threatened with extinction since 1982 and fewer than 100 remain in the wild, experts say. But new DNA evidence suggests an encouraging possibility that there may be more out there.
After studying samples from an ocelot found dead in a motor vehicle along Highway 281 in Hidalgo County in 2021, scientists determined that the feline was related to breeding populations in south Texas and shared the same DNA as ocelots found in the northeast. from Mexico.
“The results suggest that this cat possibly occupies a region of South Texas not yet known to ocelot researchers,” Sharon Wilcox, senior representative for Defenders of Wildlife Texas, said in a press release. “Hidalgo County may have more ocelots present in its more remote sections where there is suitable habitat and access to prey.”
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Here’s what we know.
Where are ocelots located in Texas?
The small wild cats, which grow to about twice the size of a domestic cat, historically lived in southwestern Arkansas, western Louisiana and much of Texas — essentially any part of the state with a shrub ecosystem, including northern and Central Texas.
Now, the species’ historical range has narrowed only to southeast Texas, along the Mexican border and the Gulf Coast.
The ocelot found in Hidalgo County is the first time the wild cat has been witnessed outside its known U.S. range, according to the release. Its location was about 50 miles from its historic range.
“It makes you wonder: How many more ocelots are hiding out there?” said Tom DeMaar, a wildlife veterinarian in the Rio Grande Valley and member of the Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge Board of Directors, in the press release.
Why are ocelots endangered?
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website, ocelots are endangered because their habitat (the dense brush where they live) has been cleared for agriculture and the growth of cities. Only 30 to 35 ocelots live in the thickets near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, about 30 miles north of Brownsville.
In 1995, an estimated 80 to 120 ocelots lived in Texas, according to the website.
Ocelot sightings in Texas date back to 1832
Ocelot sightings in Texas date back to 1832, according to WildTexasHistory.com.
