The ocelot is the most imperilled wild cat species native to the United States, with as few as 100–120 individuals residing in two isolated populations in South Texas. Recent genetic analysis confirmed that both populations have low genetic diversity and high levels of inbreeding relative to U.S. zoo-based ocelots. To support ocelot recovery efforts in the United States, a coalition of private landowners, academic institutions, state and federal governments, and zoological entities established a programme (Recover Texas Ocelots; www.RecoverTexasOcelots.org) in 2021 to reintroduce a wild population of ocelots to a part of their historic range in southern Texas. An initial ocelot reintroduction site, comprising 350 km2 of private Texas ranchland, was identified and a Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement was established between private landowners and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. An Ocelot Conservation Facility, composed of a veterinary science building, breeding enclosures and wilding enclosures, is currently under construction at Texas A&M University-Kingsville to enable ocelot propagation, behavioural development and monitoring prior to in-situ release. Ocelots from U.S. zoos will serve as the source population for introgression with wild Texas ocelots through natural breeding and/or assisted reproduction to ensure increased genetic diversity in the reintroduced population. Over the next 10 to 20 years, our goal is to establish a new, sustainable and ecologically viable ocelot population to support Texas ocelot recovery.
