He’s only one of 100 left!
A Rare Discovery: Ocelot Spotted in Southern Arizona
Earlier this year, wildlife conservationist Russ McSpadden made a remarkable discovery while checking a trail camera set up by the Center for Biological Diversity in southern Arizona. To his astonishment, he spotted an ocelot—one of only 100 remaining in the entire United States.
A Moment of Joy: Capturing Hope on Camera
“I shouted with joy when I realized what I was seeing on the trail cam,” McSpadden shared in a press release for the Center for Biological Diversity. “Capturing footage of this cat in the wild gives me hope for their survival.” Ocelots are medium-sized wild cats native to the Southwestern United States, Mexico, South America, and some Caribbean islands. Unfortunately, ocelot populations in the United States have plummeted due to historic hunting, habitat fragmentation, and loss.
A Lonely Existence: Lil’ Jefe and the Border Wall
Until recently, only one known ocelot lived in Arizona—a male named Lil’ Jefe, residing near the state’s southern border. Tragically, the construction of the Arizona-Mexico border wall has isolated Lil’ Jefe from other members of his species. “The wall has bisected almost perfectly what has long been the terrain of male ocelots occurring in Arizona from the terrain of female ocelots, most of them concentrated about 40 miles south, on the other side of the border,” explained Aletris Neils, executive director of Conservation CATalyst.
A New Hope: Another Ocelot in Arizona
With the sighting of this new ocelot, Lil’ Jefe now has company in the state he calls home. As McSpadden reviewed the footage, he noticed the ocelot looked familiar. He consulted Dr. Carmina Gutiérrez González of the Northern Jaguar Project, who analyzed the unique fur patterns of the ocelot to identify the individual.
González confirmed that this particular ocelot had been spotted for the first time a month earlier by researchers from the Phoenix Zoo, over 30 miles away. In its month-long journey, the ocelot had successfully crossed a river and a highway.
A Sacred Connection: Returning to Ancestral Lands
During its second sighting, the ocelot was traveling through the Sky Island mountain range, on the ancestral lands of the Tohono O’odham Nation. “Seeing the return of an ocelot to these ancestral lands reaffirms our sacred connection to this place and reminds us of our duty to protect these lands and the creatures that depend on them,” stated Chairman Austin Nunez of the Tohono O’odham Nation’s San Xavier District.
Inspiring Conservation: A Call to Action
The Center for Biological Diversity hopes that these recent ocelot sightings will inspire increased conservation efforts. With any luck, it won’t be long before we see this rare ocelot again, serving as a symbol of resilience and the importance of protecting our natural habitats.