The Ocelot / Felis [Leopardus] paradalis: A Not-So-Big Big Cat

Introduction

The wonderful thing about tropical nature is what Conservation Biologists refer to as its species richness, or biodiversity. A British naturalist myself, I understand that when a fellow Briton is discussing Nightjars, Kingfishers, Wildcats or other species within its Britiish context, we are talking about just one species of animal usually.  But for ecotourists that go a few thousand miles south, if you cross the Tropic of Cancer and enter the tropics, you will find that there is not one species of Nightjar, Kingfisher or Wildcat but more usually several.

Some Background to Ocelot Literature Useful for Ecotourists

Take big cats; Britain has only one native species (please note that’s native, not endemic), the Scottish Wildcat / Felis silvestris.  Mike Tomkies wrote about it in his books ‘My Wilderness Wildcats’ and ‘Liane: A Cat from the Wild’ (I met him once at a supermarket in Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland). In Brazil, felid biology becomes slightly complicated. You will find that Emmons and Feer list six species in their book Neotropical Rainforest Mammals: Jaguarundi, Oncilla, Margay, Ocelot, Puma and Jaguar. You may like to read Mammals of the Neotropics: the Central Neotropics, Volume 3 (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil), by  Eisenberg and Redford. This has a picture showing the Ocelot and Jaguar. You may also find useful the pictures in Pearson and Beletsky’s well-illustrated The Ecotraveller’s Wildlife Guide: Brazil, Amazon and Pantanal. This book’s coverage (text and pictures) of the wildlife of the Brazilian Pantanal is good. Pearson and Beletsky list Jaguarundi, Ocelot, Margay, Jaguar and Puma.

Notes on the Veterinary Clinical Examination of Ocelots

I went to Calcoed, Brynford, Holywell, Flintshire, UK, to spend Christmas with my family. I told my parents I had an Ocelot as a patient (it had an ophthalmic problem). Explaining that an Ocelot is considered by some people to be a big cat, my Mum and Dad worried and we went to the outdoor shop Charlie’s in Queensferry to get protective clothing.  When treating Ocelots, I recommend chain-saw leggings. The Brazilian SEMA – Secretaria Estadual do Meio Ambiente – the State Environmental Secretariate, dropped the Ocelot off in 2104 at the veterinary hospital where I study. I was privileged to be able to accompany a Resident veterinary surgeon on a number of occasions to feed the golden and black cat. We fed it canned cat food and I was able to attempt a physical examination. These brief sessions were useful for observing Ocelot behaviour. She (let’s christen her Lady) circled our ankles before swiping with a paw at the Achilles’ tendon before lunging her head in to bite us. Was this defensive or hunting behaviour? From the veterinarian’s point of view let’s call it Ocelot Danger Behaviour!  I produced a biligual (Portuguese and English) Clinical Examination Form for Ocelots for the next time. And I can recommend using chain-saw leggings if someone you know is treating Ocelots!

Ocelot Conservation Status

If you are interested in Ocelot conservation, this section is for you!  The Ocelot is listed on the IUCN’s Red List as, fortunately, of “Least Concern” but, worryingly, as “Decreasing”. Should you go to Brazil’s Pantanal or cerrado and hire a tour guide to take you to places like Chapada dos Guimarães or Poconé or Porto Jofre (at the end of the Transpantaneira) to see Jaguars or Ocelots, the Portuguese word to use is ‘Jaguartiríca’. You may also see them at the UFMT (Federal University of Mato Grosso) Zoological Park.