A rare Ocelot kitten born on June 26 made her public debut
this week at the Dallas Zoo!

With her mother Milagre by her side, Lindy gingerly explored
her outdoor habitat for the first time last week.  She scampered over rocks, chased bugs, and
stared wide-eyed at the visitors who were watching her. 

Photo Credit:  Dallas Zoo

Lindy and Milagre have spent the last two months in
seclusion in their den.  Milagre is still
very protective of her baby and keeps Lindy close most of the time.  But as Lindy grows, expect her to become
bolder and Milagre to become more relaxed.

Lindy is the third Ocelot kitten ever born at the Dallas Zoo
and the first since 2001.  Only a few Ocelot
kittens are born in U.S. zoos each year. Milagre, age 4, came
to Dallas from Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, while the kitten’s father, Joaquin,
age 5, came from the Oklahoma City Zoological Park. Both were brought to the
Dallas Zoo in April 2011 on the recommendation of the Ocelot Species Survival
Plan, with hopes that they would reproduce.
Ocelot kittens typically weigh less than half a pound when born. At four
weeks old, Lindy weighed two pounds.

Wild Ocelots occur
naturally in Texas, but experts believe that only about 50 of these predators
remain in the wilds of the state.  Ocelots
are widespread in Central and South America, where they prefer areas of dense
vegetation.