Husbandry and breeding of the Pampas cat Oncifelis colocolo at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Abstract

In 1972 Cincinnati Zoo received a pair of Pampas cats Oncifelis colocolo from Paraguay, and in 1981 a second ♂ was transferred to the Zoo. Since 1974 31 kittens (10.6.15) have been born at the Zoo in 23 litters. Because ♀♀ appear to be particularly sensitive to disturbances when rearing, a management protocol for the seclusion of ♂ cats has been developed. A pair is housed in the exhibit for 65 days, after which the ♂ is transferred to an off-exhibit enclosure for the next 90 days. This paper describes the husbandry, enclosure, diet and veterinary care of the species at the Zoo and details the management and behaviour of breeding pairs. © 2017 Wiley. All rights reserved.