Steve Castor, aged 9, of Davis., Ca

Is the ocelot a tree dwelling cat?

This beautiful animal is a native of the deep jungles Central and South America. He is built very like a house cat., except that he may grow four feet long.. Like all members of the wonderful cat family he is very well able to take care of himself.

He is a splendid climber and spends some of his time searching for birds and their eggs among the Jungle trees. He sometimes takes an afternoon nap cuddled in the branches of a tree.

And the graceful ocelot is just as capable of taking care of himself on the ground. He can lead a pack of hounds through a merry chase and seems to enjoy the fun. He takes t o the trees only when he is bored, or tired of the game. Left to himself, the wily hunter comes out to prowl only after dark. The darker the night, the further he prowls, He may eat up seven pounds of fresh meat before morning. He enjoys rodents, lizards and opossums. He is also a great destroyer of snakes and has been know to kill boas many times larger than himself.