22 Year Old Animal Sadly Passes Away At The Texas Zoo

News just hit as The Texas Zoo sadly announced the passing of one of their most beloved animals on January 5, 2022.

The Passing of Obidiah

The Texas Zoo made the announcement Thursday, January 6th on their Facebook page revealing, "The Texas Zoo is heartbroken to announce the death of Obidiah, our senior ocelot." Obidiah passed away due to" age-related complications." 

The History of Obidiah

Obidiah or "Obi" was born May 25, 1999. He became part of the Texas Zoo family in 2013. He could be found rolling around in his favorite tunnel. The Texas Zoo paid tribute to this amazing animal mentioning his lazy (yet so incredibly cute) tendencies, " Obi was an independent ocelot that never missed an opportunity to nap in the sunbeams."

The Lifespan of Ocelots

As previously mentioned, Obi was an ocelot. Most ocelots have an average lifespan of 2 years in the wild and up to 20 years when kept in managed care; like a zoo.

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The Texas Zoo Passion

Obi passed away on January 5, 2022, making him 22 years old. He was among the oldest of the ocelots in human care. The amazing staff at the Texas Zoo clearly takes care of their animals and if you ever take a trip to visit them, their love and passion for animals is clear as day.

Obi's Role in Species Survival

In Texas there are " less than 25 ocelots in the brushlands of South Texas, making them critically endangered," according to the Texas Zoo. Obi played an incredibly important role in the survival of his kind. Obi's scent and bedding were used to track and document wild individuals.

Obidiah will be missed by the community and especially those who cared for him day in and out at the Texas Zoo. If you would like to contribute to helping save ocelots in texas visit /www.texasocelots.com to donate.