Ocelot kitten Luca spending more time out on exhibit
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly six months since our ocelot kitten and social media star Luca entered the world.
Since he gained exhibit access back in August, he’s rarely ventured outside his behind the scenes space that he shares with his mom, Anahi (9). The pair have spent a lot of time bonding and growing together outside the public eye!
Recently, however, Luca has become much more adventurous, and spent his first full day out on exhibit last week!
This notable milestone was building for a while. Although Luca seemed to prefer staying inside the nest box with his mom during the day, he was seen by our M&T Bank Rainforest Falls keepers sneaking out onto exhibit in the evening or early morning hours before retreating back inside.
His more cautious nature as a kitten when it comes to exploring his habitat may have to do with his mom.
Anahi is very shy in nature, and rarely makes an appearance out on exhibit. As with all animals, Buffalo Zoo keepers give them the option to stay behind the scenes or head out into their habitat, and Anahi certainly favors the former option.
A reason for Luca’s recent surge in adventurousness may be just how much he’s grown in the past few months.
While he and Anahi were constantly seen snuggled up inside their nest box when he was smaller, it’s become a bit more cramped inside.
Luca is also at a stage where he could be compared to a rebellious teen, and seems to be a bit less concerned with what his mom is doing.
Our keepers will continue to monitor Luca and Anahi closely to see how their bond continues to evolve, but we encourage Zoo visitors to keep a close eye out for Luca during your next visit to our ocelot habitat! He loves to climb the many branches and logs in the exhibit, so be sure to look intently.
Ocelots as a whole are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to their strong populations in Central and South America, but there are major worries about their decreasing numbers in the southwestern United States.
Ocelots are deemed endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. While these cats once roamed much of southern Texas, it is believed there are around just 100 left in the region near the Mexican border.
An interesting fact about Luca is that he is one of the first known ocelots to be a “hybrid.” His mom Anahi comes from a Texas line of ocelots “Leopardus pardalis”, while his dad Salvador comes from a Brazilian line “Leopardus pardalis mitis”.
The Buffalo Zoo is beyond proud of our work in ocelot conservation, including a proven track record of success with ocelot births that encompasses three kittens in the past 10 years. Our staff’s techniques for ocelot breeding have been shared with other zoos around the country in hopes of similar results, and we will continue to do all we can to ensure a future where wildlife thrives.
