The Race to Revive: Ocelots on the Brink of U.S. Extinction

Scientists trek across the U.S. with the aim of saving the endangered ocelot, utilizing fertility treatments to boost their populations. While only fewer than 100 ocelots reside in the wild in the U.S., these efforts are focused on breeding and conserving this unique species and its habitat.

In a desperate attempt to rescue the endangered ocelot from extinction, scientists are traversing the United States armed with fertility treatments, seeking to rejuvenate the dwindling wild cat population.

Once native to the southwestern U.S., ocelots have diminished to fewer than 100 in South Texas. While they still inhabit parts of Mexico, Central and South America, Texas hosts the last remaining wild population on U.S. soil, according to experts.

Efforts are underway at various facilities, including the San Antonio-based East Foundation, where meticulous reproductive procedures like artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization are employed. Despite challenges such as genetic inbreeding and environmental stressors, researchers persist in their fight to save this ecologically important species.

(With inputs from agencies.)