Ocelot kitten update: First checkup and gender reveal

We have an exciting update on our ocelot kitten!

Our animal care and veterinary teams recently had their first checkup with our ocelot kitten and learned… he’s a boy!

During the relatively quick checkup, our veterinary team checked the kitten’s ears, listened to his heartbeat and examined his paws. He also was weighed for the first time, clocking in at just about 2 pounds! After the checkup, he was reunited with mom and they are now back to bonding.

The checkup found the kitten to be in good health, a very encouraging sign with how volatile these situations can be. He will have more checkups in the coming weeks to ensure everything remains positive and eventually head out on exhibit. Despite the positive signs, there is no set timeline for when he will have access to our ocelot exhibit.

Since his birth on May 13, the kitten has continued to grow, nurse and bond with first-time mom, Anahi (9). Our team has monitored the pair from a distance, ensuring they have all the space they need to thrive.

Stay tuned to the Buffalo Zoo’s social media accounts and our website for more details on the kitten in the near future!

The male kitten’s birth marks the third ocelot born at the Buffalo Zoo over the past 10 years, a testament to the incredible knowledge and dedication of our animal care team.

Their strategies to promote a safe, effective environment for the cats to breed have been remarkably successful, so much so that they’ve been shared with other zoos in hopes they find similar positive results.

While ocelots as a whole are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to their strong populations in Central and South America, 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.