Houston – You may not know it but, five hours south of Houston, a small wildcat is fighting for survival.
The ocelot, once found throughout the Americas, now faces extinction in the United States with only 120 remaining in Texas.
As their natural habitats shrink, conservationists are rallying to save this endangered species. The Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild crew recently visited El Sauz Ranch in Port Mansfield, where conservation efforts are in full swing. The goal is to preserve land where these cats can thrive.
One promising part of the plan is the translocation of ocelots from neighboring Mexico to Texas, specifically to El Sauz Ranch and neighboring Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, which already houses a small population.
Peter Gros, co-host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom since 1985, was on-site during the visit and is optimistic about the effort’s potential. Houston Life co-hosts Derrick Shore and Tessa Barrera spoke with him live over Zoom about the upcoming episode of The Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild: The Hidden World of Ocelots.
The Houston Zoo has played a huge role in raising awareness and resources for ocelot recovery. They filmed with Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild and co-host Gros in April where he learned about how the zoo introduces their male and female ocelots for breeding. The Houston Zoo also:
- is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan that manages zoo populations of ocelots to ensure people can learn about ocelots for generations.
- provides support for people protecting and replanting forests to protect wild ocelot homes.
The future of the ocelot in Texas may be uncertain, but, with a focus on habitat restoration and careful monitoring, the ocelot might call the Lone Star State home for generations. You can watch the new episode of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild airing this Saturday, Oct. 26 on NBC’s “The More You Know” programming block.