Gladys Porter Zoo hosts Ocelot Conservation Fest

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Gladys Porter Zoo hosted an Ocelot Conservation Fest to celebrate Ocelot Conservation Day.

The event was held on Sunday and the Defenders of Wildlife partnered with the Zoo to sponsor the first 250 children's entries.

"Speakers are here for the same topic, the endangered ocelot, it's native to the Rio Grande Valley and right now in the state of Texas there are 80 ocelots," said George Garcia, Park Ranger for the Laguna Tascosa National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Service Manager. "We are trying to spread awareness with what the public can do."

Additionally, the event featured an "Ocelot Run" and several speakers educating visitors on ocelots in South Texas and the Ocelot Road Mitigation Monitoring Project at UTRGV.