View Full Version : Rare ocelot observed in southern Arizona
Pretty cool, hopefully it is a naturally occurring one...
link to article:
http://azgfd.net/artman/publish/NewsMedia/Rare-ocelot-observed-in-southern-Arizona.shtml
Press Release from Arizona Game and Fish Department:
PHOENIX – Arizona Game and Fish Department officials report that a rare ocelot was observed this morning (Feb. 8) in the Huachuca Mountains in southern Arizona.
mark46th
02-09-2011, 09:15
There are also Jaguar in that area...
Some ocelots are known to be kept as pets, and occasionally, individual animals escape or are released into the wild.
Yep.
Richard :munchin
ZonieDiver
02-09-2011, 13:12
"a-hunting we will go..."
"Some ocelots are known to be kept as pets, and occasionally, individual animals escape or are released into the wild.
Yep."
Definitely possible, when I was a budding teenager saw Salvador Dali bring one into the Jockey Club in Paris. But...there have been others spotted in Southern AZ throughout it's history and more so recently. They are naturally occurring in Northern Mexico and South Texas. Research in AZ is limited to non-existent for the ocelot but they are considered regular to semi-regular visitors, like the Jaguar, in the Southern Mtns.
My educated guess is the drug war in Mexico is pushing more of them north.
ps. Also, most of the ones kept as pets are declawed, this one was not.
added: ps
.
mark46th
02-09-2011, 17:31
I went to a house where someone had an ocelot as a pet. Nasty, mean spirited creature...
I went to a house where someone had an ocelot as a pet. Nasty, mean spirited creature...
That is definitely one of the cool things about wildcats (fox too), they are hardcore...and tenacious fighters...
:D
"a-hunting we will go..."
Yes indeedy! ;)
dadof18x'er
02-10-2011, 15:44
this was fairly strange for Missouri although they are native to the area......
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_e08c1c9e-24e5-11e0-a8e6-0017a4a78c22.html
mark46th
02-10-2011, 16:10
What!? No "Nice Kitty" jokes for Honey West?
ZonieDiver
02-10-2011, 16:12
What!? No "Nice Kitty" jokes for Honey West?
I'm too young to have known who that was. :D
Ambush Master
02-10-2011, 16:24
When I was a kid, one of my friends had an Ocelot. He was new to the neighborhood and the first time I went into his house, I walked through a doorway and there was this "swishing sound" by my ear. The cat was laying on top of the door and would swish it's tail past your head!!
It was a female and was not declawed!! Every Tomcat in the neighborhood was missing various parts....ears, eyes, pieces of tails, etc!!
Later
Martin
What!? No "Nice Kitty" jokes for Honey West?
Lol...Reminds me of Johnny Carsen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZDWrJSxz5s
.
When I was a kid, one of my friends had an Ocelot. He was new to the neighborhood and the first time I went into his house, I walked through a doorway and there was this "swishing sound" by my ear. The cat was laying on top of the door and would swish it's tail past your head!!
It was a female and was not declawed!! Every Tomcat in the neighborhood was missing various parts....ears, eyes, pieces of tails, etc!!
Later
Martin
That can't be good...FYI: You want the rear declawed too as they can do serious damage. A 6 month old (about 35lbs) lion in Florida kicked and barely caught the palm of my had with a rear foot . Got a new hand line