SEATTLE - Woodland Park Zoo’s only ocelot, a 6-year-old female, has passed away this week from complications associated with fluid accumulation in the abdomen. The small spotted cat lived in the zoo’s award-winning Tropical Rain Forest. The zoo is exploring options to acquire another ocelot. Ocelots may live up to 20 years in zoos and 10 to13 years in the wild.

The zoo’s veterinarian team drained fluid during an examination last week that was prompted by the cat’s lack of appetite. “We have performed a necropsy and are awaiting pathology results to determine the exact cause of death,” explained zoo Director of Animal Health Dr. Darin Collins.

Ocelots are distributed throughout Mexico, Central and South America to northern Argentina, with remnant populations still in the southwestern United States. They may be found in several different kinds of habitats, from jungle areas and tropical rain forests to dry scrub and chaparral zones. The small cats are three to four times the size of an average domestic house cat, weighing on average 24-35 pounds and averaging 2_ to 5 feet in length.

Woodland Park Zoo participates in the Ocelot Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding program to help ensure genetic diversity and demographic stability in North American zoos. The zoo participates in 35 SSPs, which are administered by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). Additionally, SSPs involve a variety of other collaborative conservation activities such as research, public education, reintroduction and field projects. AZA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation, with more than 205 zoos and aquariums as members.

Accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, award-winning Woodland Park Zoo is famed for pioneering naturalistic exhibits and setting a standard for zoos all over the world. With conservation, education and excellent animal care at the core of the zoo’s mission, the zoo is helping to save endangered species in Washington state and around the world including tree kangaroos, snow leopards, red-crowned cranes, African wild dogs, western pond turtles and Oregon silverspot butterflies. By inspiring visitors and others to care and act, Woodland Park Zoo is making a difference in our planet’s future.