Are there more ocelots in Texas than estimated? What to know about the endangered cats
The ocelot has been endangered since 1982, and there are approximately only 100 remaining in the wild.
Brandi D. AddisonOcelots have been endangered since 1982, and fewer than 100 remain in the wild, experts say. But new DNA evidence suggests an encouraging possibility that more may be out there.
After studying samples from an ocelot found dead from a motor vehicle along Highway 281 in Hidalgo County in 2021, scientists have determined that the feline was related to breeding populations in South Texas and shared the same DNA as ocelots found in northeast Mexico.
"The results suggest that this cat possibly occupies a region of South Texas not yet known to ocelot researchers," Sharon Wilcox, senior Texas representative for Defenders of Wildlife, said in a news release. "Hidalgo County may have more ocelots present in its more remote sections where appropriate habitat and access to prey exists."
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Here's what we know.
Where are ocelots located in Texas?
The small wildcats, growing up about twice the size of a domestic cat, historically ranged in southwestern Arkansas, western Louisiana and much of Texas — essentially any part of the state with a shrubbery ecosystem, including North and Central Texas.
Now, the species' historic range has dwindled to only Southeast Texas along the Mexico border and Gulf Coast.
The ocelot found in Hidalgo County is the first time the wildcat has been witnessed outside of its known range in the U.S., according to the release. Its location was about 50 miles outside of its historic range.
"It makes you wonder; how many more ocelots are hidden out there?" said Tom DeMaar, a wildlife veterinarian in the Rio Grande Valley and member of the Board of Directors for the Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, in the news release.
Why are ocelots endangered?
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website, ocelots are endangered because their habitat (the thick brush where they live) has been cleared for farming and growth of cities. Only 30 to 35 ocelots live in the shrublands near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, about 30 miles north of Brownsville.
In 1995, it was estimated that 80 to 120 ocelots lived in Texas, according to the website.
Ocelot sightings in Texas date back to 1832
Sightings of ocelots in Texas date back to 1832, according to WildTexasHistory.com.