A rare encounter between the sloth and ocelot was caught on camera. The attack was reportedly very interesting for several reasons, according to a report.
Ocelot Vs. Sloth in the Wild
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Los Andes in Colombia, and Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador note how uncommon the footage captured is for several reasons.
First of all, predation attacks aren't frequently photographed. Second, sloths typically go to mineral licks since it's safer at night. Thirdly, it's unclear how the ocelot would have been planning to capture the sloths because they hadn't previously been thought of as targets for ocelots, ScienceAlert reported.
According to University of Texas at Austin anthropologist Anthony Di Fiore, studying two-toed sloths and ocelots is challenging. They are solitary, elusive, and challenging to locate and study in the wild.
Due to the video trap's limited range of vision, the researchers cannot confirm if the sloth could flee completely uninjured. They returned to the location two days after the recordings were recorded but didn't discover any signs of sloth remains.
Only one sloth visit to a mineral lick has ever been documented, according to a 2011 study, and these videos highlight the risks associated with leaving the trees' safety where the creatures are more protected from predators. That is especially true if you go to a location that is a favorite feeding area for several different species.
Researchers claim that the film can help them learn more about both animals. Although they have also been known to attack larger species, ocelots mostly hunt smaller animals like snakes, turtles, and frogs.
The study was published in Food Webs.
Ocelot Breeding Program in Kingsville
Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) are medium-sized wild cats. Per Animalia, they were associated with humans during the Aztec and Incan civilizations when they were kept as a pet.
Ocelots once had unrestricted movement throughout South Texas and into South America. However, they are currently considered an endangered species, according to 3News.
In addition to helping conserve the cats, two grants totaling $14 million will also help start a breeding program in Kingsville to repopulate our region with these cats.
The goal is to use the grant money to research Governor Greg Abbott's border walls' effects on the wildlife near the border. The remaining grant money will fund the construction of an ocelot breeding program at Texas A&M University-Kingsville's Cesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute.
According to David Hewitt, executive director of the Cesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, they will conduct breeding in that facility to assist ocelots in reintroduction into a new home in South Texas.
Hewitt claimed that an architect is currently developing the facility's blueprints.
According to him, construction will probably begin sometime in the next year. As part of the recently signed agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service, funding will be provided to assist in the facility's operation. Robert Vela, president of TAMU-K, expressed his enthusiasm for this significant scientific endeavor.
Vela said he was so proud of their teachers and the work they accomplish because they don't always focus on enhancing their reputations or producing more of their work. He remarked that it is about what they do for the community and how well that fits with their mission.
These wild cats will be released into Jim Hogg County, which is located just south of Hebbronville, after the breeding operation begins to produce kittens.
RELATED ARTICLE: Homeowner Shot a 7-Foot Alligator 4 Times in the Head While the Beast Was Biting His Dog; FWC Will Not File Charges for the Killing
Check out more news and information on Wildlife in Science Times.
