Ocelot

At Panthera, we know that it can be difficult to keep track of the 33 species of small wild cats. If you’re not a scientist or ranger, it can be hard to decipher the sometimes-subtle differences between the cat species that range over five of the world’s seven continents: Asia, Africa, South America, North America and Europe. This can be especially challenging when these cats inhabit the same territory. However, in the tropical forests of Latin America, Panthera has you covered.

Months ago, we brought you the stories of Ben and F11-9, two jaguars that have been central to Panthera and the Belize Audubon Society’s jaguar study in Belize’s Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world’s longest to date. But jaguars aren’t the only species we study in this rich ecosystem. Meet the ocelots M12-1 and F13-2, who are the parents of their own wild cat dynasty. Motion-activated cameras, or camera traps, give us a wealth of knowledge into the secretive lives of felines, including this ocelot pair.

Picture yourself floating amongst the reeds on a murky river. Around you, birds screech at each other, and in the water, capybaras and caimans paddle along. And on the shore, you get a glimpse of spots — a jaguar. 

This is the fifth installment in our series meant to shine a light on the 33 species of small wild cats found around the globe.

To study elusive species like wild cats, we’re ready and willing to use all available sources of information in our quest to understand these animals – even feces. Cats’ droppings, or scats, are a wealth of information; helping us learn what the animals eat, their overall health, and details about their genetic background. They’re so useful that they’ve even helped produce the most complete genetic survey of jaguars in Mesoamerica that we have today.