Brazilian Ocelot Born

By Miss Cellania in Animals & Pets on Nov 30, 2007 at 12:50 am

There are only 26 endangered Brazilian ocelots in American zoos. One of them was born September 23rd at the Lousiville Zoo. They named him El Conquistador.

El Conquistador garnered his name when at 2 days old he wandered from his mother’s side and squeezed through fencing into a hallway for keeper staff on the back side of the exhibit.

“And he did all this when he was unable to see,” McMahan laughed. “He was so young, his eyes were still closed. So, we named him El Conquistador because he is definitely an explorer and conqueror.”

The kitten’s birth is significant because his father Itirapua is one of the very few “founder stock” ocelots, whose genes are critical for survival of the species. Link -via Fark

(image credit: Kara Bussabarger, Louisville Zoo)

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Thespian24601
Nov 30th, 2007 at 1:18 am
He is so adorable. I want one, so so bad. But if they’re better off in zoos and in the wild, I’ll let em be.
Thomas
Nov 30th, 2007 at 2:31 am
Wow, that’s a cute ocelot. And I know cute ocelots. Not really, but I do know cute, and he’s cute.
Camila
Nov 30th, 2007 at 6:52 am
He’s pretty cute, but WTF for the spanish name, in a BRAZILIAN ocelot, born in the US?

I’m not gonna even start the lecture about brazil’s mother language not being spanish whatsoever…
Cheers to modern-globalized-culture world!
O Conquistador
Nov 30th, 2007 at 7:15 am
Too bad it is a Spanish name. We Brazilians do speak Portuguese…
MoonCake
Nov 30th, 2007 at 7:49 am
ooo touche!

what a cute kitty! he would get along great with my kitty.. at least until he got bigger than my kitty and made him breakfast… but they can still be friends.
sh
Nov 30th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
I have asked some folks I know at the zoo to change his name to “O Conquistador.” There was, of course, no intent to elicit the bile spilled in the “WTF” comment. The zoo folks are great people who have accomplished a wonderful and difficult thing. The intent is to restore these cats to their native regions ultimately. And they don’t get a hell of lot of fame or dough for doing it. That’s hardly an attitude of “modern-globalized-culture.” Please take off the blinders and appreciate the accomplishment.

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