Cincinnati Zoo's Ocelot Birth a First.

An ocelot kitten produced by embryo transfer was recently born at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Named Sihil, a Mayan word meaning "to be born again," the kitten was born through a procedure that may assist in increasing the genetic diversity of these medium-sized cats.

As Ken Kaemmerer of the Dallas Zoo says "Embryo transfer is still a fledgling science and any success is reason for celebration." Kaemmerer is the coordinator of the Ocelot Species Survival Plan -- a cooperative effort of American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA)-accredited institutions whose goal is to save endangered species through captive breeding, habitat preservation, public education, and supportive research.

The zoo's Center for Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) has been working in Brazil to produce and freeze Brazilian ocelot embryos. After being transferred to the United States, the embryos will be implanted into a generic ocelot, resulting in a purebred Brazilian kitten.

Ocelots have been on the endangered species list of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1972, after being hunted to near-extinction for their spotted coats. Most of the 120 ocelots that are currently housed in North American zoos are "generic," meaning that they are of unknown ancestry, and the ability to transfer embryos is expected to increase the genetically defined population. [Adapted from an article by Christine Oliva, Cincinnati Enquirer]