SAN DIEGO — Researchers at the Phoenix Zoo say they've come across an extremely rare sighting - an ocelot roaming through the Arizona mountains.
The San Diego Zoo has one that serves as an Ambassador, but seeing them in the wild here in the United States is rare.
“We were lucky to get a really nice, crisp, clear shot of it. And then I did confirm with other biologists as well, said Kinley Ragan, a Phoenix Zoo field research project manager.
The zoo captured an ocelot roaming past one of their cameras in the Atascosa Highlands, located in Southern Arizona.
Ocelots are small neotropical cats, similar to the size of a bobcat.
They're commonly found in places like Mexico, Central America and Argentina, but have been listed as endangered in the U.S. since 1972.
Estimates show there are less than 100 ocelots in the U.S., and they're mostly found in Texas.
In Arizona, they're intermittently recorded.
In fact, there are only two known ocelots in the entire state – the one just spotted, which was found at a lower elevation than most historical records show, and another spotted consistently in the last year in a different mountain range fifty miles away.
"It's very rare record. However, more research is needed to further understand the full extent of these populations, and for our record, is this individual passing through? Are they staying year round? Are there others with it? This is all kind of questions that we're really excited to explore," said Ragan.
The recent sighting is part of a field study that began last year.
Researchers from the Phoenix Zoo put up 30 cameras throughout a series of mountain ranges known to be a wildlife corridor.
They captured 21 species of mammals, but no ocelots.
This year, 20 more cameras were added, and that's when the ocelot was discovered during planned maintenance of the cameras in July.
"I've only checked 23 of those cameras, so I'll be going out next week to check the other 27 cameras to see what else is on the other half, which is super exciting,” said Ragan.
Ragan says it's important to note this ocelot is a new one, never previously discovered, based on its unique spot pattern, which all ocelots have.
When asked why the general public should care about this sighting, she said not only because it's rare, but it also gives more insight into an important ecosystem.
“They used to historically be here, and so because of changing climates, because of lack of habitat and connectivity, they're not here anymore. And so to be able to have this record just gives us more information of how to better protect these ecosystems for species, so that we can ensure that they're here in the future."
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