The Last Island of the Ocelot: Ricardo Meade, El Socorro Centre for Wildlife Conservation
11/25/20 • 23 min
The islands of Trinidad and Tobago have incredible biodiversity with tropical rainforests described as a mini Amazon, hundreds of species of birds and the last remaining island population of ocelots. All of this however is under threat - deforestation is tearing down precious habitats, hunting is rife and the island is at the nexus of the illegal wildlife trade.
But there's a local wildlife rehabilitation centre in Trinidad that's educating local Trinibagonians about their island's unique biodiversity and working to conserve, rescue and rehabilitate its native species – including the ocelot.
So how does the ocelot fit into this island's ecosystem? How can they thrive in these diminishing forests under all these threat? And will future research into the ocelot in Trinidad, reveal an entirely new subspecies of ocelot – to the world.
This episode features Ricardo Meade from the El Socorro Centre for Wildlife Conservation.
Links
The islands of Trinidad and Tobago have incredible biodiversity with tropical rainforests described as a mini Amazon, hundreds of species of birds and the last remaining island population of ocelots. All of this however is under threat - deforestation is tearing down precious habitats, hunting is rife and the island is at the nexus of the illegal wildlife trade.
But there's a local wildlife rehabilitation centre in Trinidad that's educating local Trinibagonians about their island's unique biodiversity and working to conserve, rescue and rehabilitate its native species – including the ocelot.
So how does the ocelot fit into this island's ecosystem? How can they thrive in these diminishing forests under all these threat? And will future research into the ocelot in Trinidad, reveal an entirely new subspecies of ocelot – to the world.
This episode features Ricardo Meade from the El Socorro Centre for Wildlife Conservation.
Links
Previous Episode
The Value of the Mountain Lion: Dr. Mark Elbroch, Panthera
Today, more than ever – the mountain lion is mired in controversy, misinformation and fear and their very existence in the landscapes across America are inextricably interwined with the tricky politics of managing wildlife reserves in the US.
What role does the mountain lion play in these ecosystems? What value if any, does it provide the local people and economies? And how do we move forward with the conservation of this species for all people. It's quite the cougar conundrum!
This episode features Dr. Mark Elbroch, director of the Puma Program at Panthera and author of the new book, 'The Cougar Conundrum'
Buy the Book
- Island Press (Buy direct from publisher)
- Amazon US
- Book Depository
- Booko (AU)
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Next Episode
The City of the Caracal: Gabi Leighton, Urban Caracal Project
The Cape Peninsula, home to the city of Cape Town in South Africa is a global biodiversity hotspot. Prior to European settlement, this area was home to almost every large African animal – elephants, rhinos, hippos, red hartebeest – even the now-extinct Cape Lion – that was one and a half times larger than an African lion.
Today, Cape Town is a bustling, modern city and whilst it has lost most of its historic megafauna, it is still rich in a variety of plant and animal species. One of those species is the caracal, a mid-sized cat that lives in the urban edge of the city bounds.
This episode features Gabi Leighton from the Urban Caracal Project.
Links
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