Ocelot Project 

The ocelot is threatened by hunting and the loss of habitat. The depletion of forests decrease the movement of  ocelots throughout  Trinidad, further constricting the genetic variety on the island. According to Scientific Note “Captive Ocelots of Trinidad’s Emperor Valley Zoo: Retrospective and Suggested Management” the last major research conducted and published on the breeding population of ocelots was in 2004. (Khan, 2015) Further, it explained that a lack of information (on the breeding population of ocelots), which  raised conservation concerns.   Since then, the EMA, in conjunction with the UWI have successfully estimated densities for ocelots using spatial capture recapture techniques in Nariva, Arena Forest,  Chaguaramas and Aripo Savannas Environmentally Sensitive Area .

To date, there have been no estimates of ocelot densities or breeding populations in the Brasso Seco Paria region of the Northern Range of Trinidad. Gaining such information would allow us to add to the body of work on ocelot in Trinidad, and contribute towards the conservation of this Environmentally Sensitive Species.