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Bridgeport zoo mourns death of beloved ocelot

BRIDGEPORT  — A  zoo is mourning the death of one of its beloved wild cats. Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport says Kuma, a 14-year-old Brazilian Ocelot, died Thursday...
Kuma by jack bradley b
Bridgeport zoo mourns death of beloved ocelot

BRIDGEPORT  — A  zoo is mourning the death of one of its beloved wild cats.

Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport says Kuma, a 14-year-old Brazilian Ocelot, died Thursday.

The zoo didn’t specify the cause of death, but said Kuma contributed greatly to the conservation of her species, which is related to pumas and lynxes.

She was one of just a handful of ocelots to give birth after artificial insemination. Kuma had been accidentally injured by her father and lost her left rear leg and tail as a kitten, making her unable to breed naturally.

Her two daughters now reside at other zoos and have given birth to many more of the spotted cats. The zoo says Brazilian ocelots are becoming increasingly endangered because of human population growth and habitat loss.

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