Rare Ocelot Spotted in Southern Arizona: First Wild Sighting in 50 Years, Scientists Confirm

Multiple researchers examined the cat’s spots and determined that it was the first one seen in the Atascosa Highlands in decades.

ARIZONA, USA — There’s a remarkable discovery in Arizona. Researchers have captured footage of an ocelot, the first one seen in the Atascosa Highlands in 50 years.

Scientists from the Phoenix Zoo and the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation (ACNC) identified the elusive cat through field cameras set up in the Coronado National Forest’s Nogales Ranger District.

Back in April, the research team deployed cameras to monitor wildlife corridors. By June, the cameras captured images of the small yet significant wildcat.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) confirmed the animal’s identity through detailed pelage spot analysis, distinguishing it from other known ocelots in the state.

Often mistaken for miniature jaguars, ocelots are a unique species of leopard native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America. They also inhabit several Caribbean islands.

The region encompassing the Atascosa, Tumacácori, and Pajarito mountains serves as a critical, though under-researched, wildlife corridor. Initial studies conducted in 2023 recorded 21 different mammal species, but no ocelots or jaguars until now.

“Finding evidence of a new ocelot in southern Arizona reinforces our commitment to collaborative efforts to conserve wildlife and their habitats in the region,” said ACNC/Phoenix Zoo President and CEO Bert Castro. “We’re eager to review additional camera data from this study to see what else we can learn about species of conservation concern in the borderlands and what they need for their continued survival.”

The research team plans to return to the area later in August and again in October for further data collection and hopefully more sightings of the new feline resident.