Construction Starts On Breeding Facility For Endangered Ocelots

Story by TIM SULLIVAN

Ground has been broken for a new facility in Kingsville where researchers will work to increase the population of the endangered ocelot.

The 30,000 square-foot facility will house an ocelot breeding program and provide a real world environment for young ocelots. As they grow older, they’ll be introduced into the wild in an area that’s been set aside for ocelots north of the Rio Grande Valley.

The facility on the campus of Texas A&M-Kingsville was funded through a partnership among the federal government and private foundations. There are only about 100 ocelots remaining in the U.S.