Up Close and Personal: Ocelot

Up Close and Personal: Ocelot On my birthday, a day I don't normally care neither here nor there of, I took this opportunity to spend it with my son. His gift to me that day was a day of good fortune of pictures and opportunities to take pictures. When you go to zoos there are times when you just don't get good photos or the animals just don't seem to want to have their photos taken. The ocelot pen is one that you can only view from the top, not the sides, kind of strange really. Between my glasses getting in my way and my short stature of just under six feet tall, my taller gangly son went to get a better angle of photo for me, while he did this the lens cap of my camera dangled and one of the Ocelot couldn't resist the chance to play. Holy cow, it even jumped up into the camera, almost knocking it out of my son's hands, all the while Dane kept taking photos. I have the most amazing shots and all for my b-day.. ... a day which normally is no big deal, but the photos were AWESOME!!!! Dude!!! I also have to say that I am a real wild cat lover. I feel that these animals require protection as well as their territory. I also have a great respect of the indigenous peoples here in the jungle but greater education for them in terms of understanding the need to protect their home is greatly needed. I went to visit one of my friends in the city of Puyo when one of her "foster" kids came to show me with great pride in his eyes a purse that he had made. It was made of Ocelot. I was almost sick. My friend noticed my stricken face and said "Oh yeah your one of those people who like animals. Oh well." I could have understood if it was for food, part of a ritual or passage of rites but this was for none of that. This was for the joy of killing. My heart still aches every time I think of it,.... Please be a voice for those who cannot speak Robin