Seeing Spots: A new ocelot joins the Gladys Porter Zoo family

Brownsville, Texas (Oct 23, 2024) – Gladys Porter Zoo staff are inviting the public to come out and meet our newest resident, Ignacio, a 7-year-old ocelot. Iggy, as he is affectionately called, joins a female ocelot that currently resides at the Zoo, Leeloo. 

Iggy arrived at the Zoo in early August from the Palm Beach Zoo in Florida. After completing the mandatory quarantine period, he is now slowly being introduced to Leeloo. To ensure a safe and easy transition for both cats, zookeepers are gradually allowing them to get acquainted with one another. 

Zookeepers are working hard on acclimating the pair. As of now, the pair are becoming familiar with one another’s scent behind the scenes and taking turns spending time in their shared outdoor habitat. This is an important process that must take place in order to ensure the safety and comfort of both animals. 

Mammal Curator, Walter DuPree says, “We are all excited to be working with Iggy to help the Texas ocelot program succeed. And Iggy has proven to be a special male who we enjoy. Where Leelo is shy and Iggy is outgoing and curious. He interacts with his enrichment and responds to the keeper's voices. He has also been spending a lot of time interested in Leeloo and she with him. While not every pairing produces a pregnancy, we are cautiously optimistic that the pairing of Leeloo and Iggy will produce offspring and continue the work Gladys Porter Zoo does in our efforts to contribute to species conservation.”

Leeloo made headlines last year after participating in a groundbreaking artificial insemination procedure. Zoo staff were very hopeful and excited about the procedure, but sadly, it did not result in a pregnancy. Leeloo will be featured in an upcoming episode of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild. The episode highlights ocelot conservation in South Texas and will air on Saturday, October 26th at 9:00 a.m. on KVEO NBC 23. It will also be available for streaming the following day at NBC.com and Peacock. 

The arrival of Iggy represents the Zoo’s ongoing effort to conserve wildlife, reverse the dwindling ocelot population numbers in South Texas, and continue to educate the public on this local wild cat. 

Ocelots are listed as Endangered in Texas. South Texas is the only place in the U.S. where wild ocelots can be found. There are thought to be less than 100 individuals left in the wild. The biggest threat to their survival is habitat loss and road mortality. To learn more about the Zoo’s ocelot conservation efforts, visit gpz.org.