Ocelot Conservation Day 2022 was held March 6th at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville TX. Over 3500 visitors showed up at the zoo and it felt like all of them participated in our activities! We were so happy that the weather was perfect.

It was fun day with a variety of activities: make a button or magnet, color an ocelot mask, see live animal presentations by zoo staff, learn about ocelots from Hilary Swarts, visit with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Wardens at the Operation Game Thief trailer, shop for ocelot merchandise, and learn about the Friends of Laguna Atascosa and Laguna Atascosa NWR. Games included Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Ocelot, Bean Bag Toss, How Far Can an Ocelot Jump?, puzzles, and Discovery Boxes. Kids could collect 6 ocelot pawprints and get a special event sticker at the Friends store.

Click here to see a gallery of pictures from the day!

We especially want to express our appreciation to the following groups and sponsors who made this event so successful:

Gladys Porter Zoo and Staff who helped so much with the setup and hosting the event on zoo grounds.

Defenders of Wildlife who provided a generous sponsorship for the event AND provided funding for 263 kids to attend the event for free! Download their free Bordercats Booklet for Kids here.

Laguna Atascosa NWR Staff and Volunteers who brought a lot of information, time and energy to the event (and even some of their relatives and friends).

Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens with their informative trailer.

Texas Master Naturalists from both Rio Grande Valley Chapter and South Texas Border Chapter who provided energy, enthusiasm and great volunteer support.

Friends of Laguna Atascosa Board Members, Volunteers and Families who support the work of Friends and the refuge.