Get ready to be thrilled by the tale of an extraordinary creature that has graced Arizona with its presence – an ocelot, a celebrated small wildcat species globally recognized. This feline, typically found in South and Central America, once roamed above the Rio Grande and has now been spotted sauntering through the Atascosa Highlands of Southern Arizona’s Coronado National Forest.
This majestic cat was captured on one of 50 camera traps set by Phoenix Zoo as part of a wildlife monitoring project. The Highlands blanketed in a mix of thorn scrub and scattered oak woodlands across the Tumacacori, Atascosa, and Pajarito mountains, provide the perfect hunting ground for this nocturnal prowler. Discover more about this region here.
The discovery came when Kinley Ragan, field research project manager for the Phoenix Zoo, checked the SD card during a routine battery replacement. “This particular location required a 40-minute hike to the site as the temperature was reaching 95 degrees,” Ragan recalls in a statement released by the zoo.
Upon laying eyes on the ocelot footage, he was filled with disbelief, excitement, and pride. His initial shock soon transformed into a broad smile as he comprehended the significance of this discovery for the region.
The sighting was confirmed by Tracy McCarthey, Regional Nongame Specialist at the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). She conducted a pelage spot analysis comparing this ocelot with the current known ocelot in the state, as well as previous ocelots, confirming that this is indeed a new ocelot.
Since 1972, ocelots have been listed as Endangered in the United States and are only sporadically recorded in Arizona. This particular feline was observed at lower elevations than most historical records of ocelots in Arizona. Another ocelot has been consistently documented over the last year through camera footage from the Huachuca mountain range, over 50 miles away from this new sighting.
“Finding evidence of a new ocelot in southern Arizona reinforces our commitment to collaborative efforts to conserve wildlife and their habitats in the region,” says Phoenix Zoo President and CEO Bert Castro. “We’re eager to review additional camera data from this study to see what else we can learn about species of conservation concern in the borderlands and what they need for their continued survival.”
Last year, a camera trap survey in the area yielded evidence of 21 mammal species in the Highlands, which is considered a critical wildlife corridor, but there is no ocelot or jaguar. With this new piece of evidence—significant due to the lower elevation at which it occurred—the zoo plans to conduct broader surveys and DNA analysis from nearby water sources to better understand ocelot presence in the area and perhaps uncover additional secrets in this stunning slice of American desert.
“We’re excited to see if this was a one-off and what this means for the area,” Ragan tells the Arizona Republic. “Are there more? Now that we are formally surveying it, what else can we uncover in this beautiful landscape?”
Now that you’ve read about this incredible sighting, don’t forget to share this fantastic news with your friends from Arizona!
Source: Good News Network
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