Wild & freeOcelot
Species field card
Ocelot
⌖ Rainforests & thorn scrub
“The dark lines around an ocelot’s eyes may help reduce glare—like a natural pair of sunglasses!”
- Home range
- The Americas
- Super skill
- Climbing & camouflage
Field GuideTake the Challenge
A field guide for curious explorers ages 6–12
Small paws.
Big wild world.
Track remarkable wild cats across forests, wetlands, mountains and deserts—and discover why the best place to meet them is in the wild.
FIELD NOTE #01There are about 40 wild cat species. Most are not lions or tigers—they are small, secretive and perfectly made for their homes.
OCELOTRainforest shadow
FISHING CATWetland swimmer
SAND CATDesert explorer
Open the field guide
Meet six amazing wild cats
Choose a cat to uncover its habitat, special skills and a surprising fact.
Choose your cat
Which wild cat is calling you?
Search for a favorite, follow an alphabet trail, or let the Cat Compass choose your next discovery.
🐾39 cats on this trail
A
Want the complete scientific species list?Visit Big Cat Rescue’s Cat Species page →Amur Leopard
Panthera pardus orientalisOpen field notes ↗AAndean Mountain Cat
Leopardus jacobitaOpen field notes ↗AAsiatic Golden Cat
Catopuma temminckiiOpen field notes ↗BBay Cat
Catopuma badiaOpen field notes ↗BBlack-footed Cat
Felis nigripesOpen field notes ↗BBobcat
Lynx rufusOpen field notes ↗CCanada Lynx
Lynx canadensisOpen field notes ↗CCaracal
Caracal caracalOpen field notes ↗CCheetah
Acinonyx jubatusOpen field notes ↗CChinese Mountain Cat
Felis bietiOpen field notes ↗CClouded Leopard
Neofelis nebulosaOpen field notes ↗CCougar
Puma concolorOpen field notes ↗FFishing Cat
Prionailurus viverrinusOpen field notes ↗FFlat-headed Cat
Prionailurus planicepsOpen field notes ↗GGeoffroy’s Cat
Leopardus geoffroyiOpen field notes ↗GGolden Cat (African)
Caracal aurataOpen field notes ↗GGuigna (Kodkod)
Leopardus guignaOpen field notes ↗IIberian Lynx
Lynx pardinusOpen field notes ↗IIriomote Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensisOpen field notes ↗JJaguar
Panthera oncaOpen field notes ↗JJaguarundi
Herpailurus yagouaroundiOpen field notes ↗JJungle Cat
Felis chausOpen field notes ↗LLeopard
Panthera pardusOpen field notes ↗LLeopard Cat
Prionailurus bengalensisOpen field notes ↗LLion
Panthera leoOpen field notes ↗MMargay
Leopardus wiediiOpen field notes ↗MMarbled Cat
Pardofelis marmorataOpen field notes ↗NNorthern Tiger Cat
Leopardus tigrinusOpen field notes ↗OOcelot
Leopardus pardalisOpen field notes ↗PPallas’s Cat
Otocolobus manulOpen field notes ↗PPampas Cat
Leopardus colocolaOpen field notes ↗RRusty-spotted Cat
Prionailurus rubiginosusOpen field notes ↗SSand Cat
Felis margaritaOpen field notes ↗SServal
Leptailurus servalOpen field notes ↗SSiberian Lynx
Lynx lynxOpen field notes ↗SSnow Leopard
Panthera unciaOpen field notes ↗SSouthern Tiger Cat
Leopardus guttulusOpen field notes ↗TTiger
Panthera tigrisOpen field notes ↗WWildcat
Felis silvestrisOpen field notes ↗The most important lesson
Wild cats belong to the wild.
A cage may let people look at a cat, but it cannot give that cat a wild life. Wild cats need room to roam, choices to make, natural families, and the chance to use every skill their bodies and minds were built for.
We can learn more—and show more kindness—through respectful tools such as remote cameras, wildlife documentaries, virtual reality and field scientists’ observations.
Test what you knowNOT FOR OUR AMUSEMENT
- ✕ Cub holding and photo props
- ✕ Tricks, shows and performances
- ✕ Breeding cats for display
- ✕ Calling captivity “education”
LEARN WITH RESPECT
- ✓ Remote wildlife cameras
- ✓ Protecting natural habitats
- ✓ Books, films, VR and AR
- ✓ Supporting field conservation
Explorer challenge
What would a wild cat choose?
Every good field explorer learns to see the world through an animal’s eyes. Choose the kindest answer.
Question 1 of 3
01
Where does a wild cat learn the skills it needs to survive?
Print, play, discover
Fieldwork for young explorers
Ready-to-use activities from Big Cat Rescue’s education collection.
Welcome to the teacher den
Bring the wild into your classroom—without bringing wildlife into captivity.
Flexible, classroom-ready resources for science, literacy, art, observation and compassionate conservation.
Ages 6–930–45 min
Science
Super Cat Senses
Compare how cats and humans see, hear, smell and feel the world.
Open lesson ↗Ages 7–1245 min
Science + Art
Built for the Habitat
Discover how paws, coats, tails and ears help wild cats survive.
Open lesson ↗Ages 9–1245–60 min
Life Science
Biodiversity Detectives
Explore why every living thing has a role in a healthy habitat.
Open lesson ↗Ages 8–1230 min
Observation
Read Cat Behavior
Use an ethogram to observe actions like a real field scientist.
Open lesson ↗Ages 6–10Flexible
Cross-curricular
Ocelot Activity Pack
Learn about spotted forest cats with ready-to-use activities.
Open lesson ↗Ages 9–1230–45 min
Civics + Writing
Speak for Animals
Help students turn what they learn into kind, effective action.
Open lesson ↗The wild cat explorer pledge