Uvalde and Kinney Counties are interesting habitats to consider for ocelots. They sit at the intersection of the hilly Edwards Plateau and the brushy South Texas Plains, creating an edge effect that promote an abundance of wildlife.
Las Moras Creek in Brackettville drains into the Rio Grade, while the Nueces River runs through Uvalde connecting it to a wide swath of Texas. It is also sparsely populated compared to the rest of the state. Because of this, I like to imagine it would be a promising place to try to reintroduce ocelots in the future. However, there are so many exotic hunting ranches in the area that it could be problematic. Still, we can read the articles below and imagine when ocelots roamed free in the area less than a century ago.
San Antonio Light – December 11, 1907, p. 6
Beyond the location, this story about a hunt in Uvalde County is notable because of the description of scavenging behavior from an ocelot.
San Antonio Express – December 16, 1931, p. 11
In the past, ocelots were often called “leopard cats.” This cat was a rarity in Brackettville by the 1930s, but I would imagine they were more common in the 19th century. I need to follow up on the cat they mention from a decade earlier.
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