Missing wildcat believed to be dead

The missing ocelot cub that sparked public concern and a multi-agency search in Black River, St Elizabeth, is now believed to be dead.

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) gave the update after queries by THE STAR. The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) issued a warning on May 7, urging residents to be on the lookout after the wild animal escaped containment during a smuggling bust on Jamaica's south coast.

"The view is that it died," said Anthony McKenzie, director for environmental management and conservation at NEPA. The young ocelot was brought into the country illegally aboard a vessel intercepted by the JDF Coast Guard. The ship was reportedly carrying a trove of contraband including marijuana, monkeys, parrots and what authorities initially believed to be a tiger cub. That identification was later corrected after NEPA confirmed it was in a baby ocelot, a wild cat native to the Americas. McKenzie explained that the animal's age made its survival in the wild highly unlikely.

"It was very unlikely, because it was a little kid. It would have needed parental care to a large extent," he said adding that the animal would need special care to survive. NEPA had cautioned residents that although the animal resembled a kitten and was about the size of a large soda bottle, it was still a predator capable of inflicting injury. The agency warned people not to approach or attempt to tame the animal if spotted.

But weeks have passed without any credible sightings, and while there remains a slim chance that someone may have found the cub and is secretly caring for it, McKenzie told THE STAR that's highly unlikely.

"There is always that possibility. But, I mean, due to the remoteness and so on of some of the areas, based on our evaluation, it most likely would have died by now," he said.

Asked directly if the ocelot should still be considered a threat, McKenzie responded, "No, definitely not."