An Ocelot kitten born at the Cameron Park Zoo is
being called a “miracle baby” because it was born to a mother who was beyond
the known breeding age for Ocelots.
The kitten, a male named Aztec, is the first
infant born to Cameron Park Zoo Ocelots Maya and Gustavo. Maya is 14 years
old, an age which is considered somewhat past the prime age for successfully
producing offspring. Ocelots reach sexual maturity at two to two-and-a-half years
of age and their life expectancy is seven to ten years in the wild and up to 20 years
in captivity.
Photo Credit: Cameron Park Zoo
In November 2012, a team of veterinary
specialists from the Cincinnati Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research for
Endangered Wildlife (CREW) performed a reproductive assessment on Maya. Even
though she was past her breeding prime, Maya was still
cycling and the assessment showed that there could be a slight chance of a
successful pregnancy. The team, along
with Cameron Park Zoo veterinarian Terry Hurst, collected semen from
Gustavo and performed an artificial insemination procedure on Maya. Unfortunately the procedure
was not successful, and the assumption was that because of her age and the
condition of her ovaries, Maya would not be able to become pregnant.
On May 31, 2013 Maya was not feeling
well and was left in her night house.
Later that morning, zoo staff members were surprised and excited to find
a baby Ocelot had just been born! Maya
was given a nest box and hay for bedding her infant and then left alone with
her baby to allow time to bond.
Apparently, Gustavo and Maya decided to have their baby “the old
fashioned way” and Maya has proven to be an attentive mother. Aztec has not made his public debut in the
exhibit, but zoo officlas hope to announce that very soon.
Ocelots are native to much of South
America and Mexico. They are expert
hunters, and are fiercely territorial.
They are listed as a species of Least Concern by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature.
