TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – A rare spotted wild cat in Southern Arizona was captured on camera recently in the Santa Rita Mountain region.
According to the University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Convention Center, an ocelot was spotted in the Santa Rita Mountain region, and it’s the second time in recorded history that an ocelot was documented within the area.
The Wild Cat Center last detected an ocelot in the Santa Rita Mountain region in 2013-2014.
The center uses long-term, noninvasive monitoring to make detections of rare animals possible. Officials said millions of trail-camera images help researchers understand how the wild and rare cats in the Sky Islands move, survive and persist.
What makes this rare ocelot detection more remarkable is the fact that the same wild cat has been documented in other regions by partner researchers, highlighting that ocelots thrive on connected landscapes.
“Every image like this is rare. Every detection adds irreplaceable data. And every one reminds us how fragile and resilient these wild pathways are,” the center said.
More information about the University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Convention Center can be found online.