An incredibly rare ocelot has been caught on camera slinking about a mountain range in southern Arizona. The wild cat was spotted on July 24 by a trail camera belonging to the Center for Biological Diversity located in a Sky Island mountain range – somewhere the species has not recently been found.
“I shouted with joy when I realized what I was seeing on the trail cam. This incredible footage shows us that ocelots belong in our Sky Islands, despite all the threats they face,” said Russ McSpadden, a Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement. “These elegant, elusive and fiercely resilient felines are an important part of what makes southern Arizona so special. Capturing footage of this cat in the wild gives me hope for their survival.”
Ocelots have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1982. There are thought to be fewer than 100 individuals left in the US, most of which can be found in southern Texas. Arizona is home to a small but essential population that relies on the interconnected wildlands of the Sky Islands – however, fragmentation of the habitat due to human activity such as road building and mining is a serious threat to their survival.
This, as well as the fact they are covered in distinctive spots that provide excellent camouflage, means a sighting like this is incredibly rare. Against all the odds, this is actually the second time this particular ocelot has been spotted in recent months.
After consulting with experts, the Center for Biological Diversity confirmed that the ocelot filmed in July was the same one detected by researchers at the Phoenix Zoo in the Atascosa Highlands west of Nogales on June 12, 2024.
The intrepid ocelot had traveled at least 48 kilometers (30 miles), crossing the Santa Cruz River and Interstate 19, before reaching a Sky Island mountain range in Arizona. For the cat’s safety, the exact location at which it was spotted has not been released, but we know it’s an area where no other such detections have been made in recent times.
Ocelots are known for their striking spots, which allow researchers to identify individual animals, sort of like a fingerprint.
Image credit: Russ McSpadden / Center for Biological Diversity
“The Sky Island Mountains are not just beautiful landscapes; they are living parts of our culture and identity. 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,” said Chairman Austin Nunez of the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation, whose ancestral homelands lie within the Sky Island mountain ranges in Arizona. “The ocelot’s survival is intertwined with ours, and we must ensure that this species endures for future generations.”
It is hoped that this latest detection will help to bolster conservation efforts and safeguard the species’ future.
“Every ocelot and jaguar sighting is a chance to celebrate these incredible creatures and reflect on how we can help their safe return to the Southwestern U.S.,” added McSpadden. “I hope this beautiful ocelot reminds us all of the critical work ahead to make sure these cats’ habitat remains unfragmented and protected for future generations.”
