Daenerys, a female ocelot, arrived at RAREC in September 2017 when she was just 3 to 4 months old. Daenerys was orphaned when a poacher killed her mother to capture and sell her offspring. A local resident purchased her, unaware of the specialized care Daenerys needed. Without proper knowledge of her diet, they struggled to feed her and as a result, she became sick.

Concerned for her health, the owner eventually took Daenerys to a veterinarian. The vet informed them that it was illegal to keep an ocelot as a pet and that Daenerys needed to be turned over to the environmental authorities. The authorities then contacted RAREC for assistance.

Our team picked Daenerys up in Iquitos and brought her to the same veterinarian for evaluation. She was severely malnourished and dehydrated, weighing only 400 grams. At RAREC, she was carefully nursed back to health with a specialized diet of Milk Matrix and raw eggs, before slowly transitioning to raw chicken and beef. With proper care, she quickly gained weight and grew stronger every day.

Sadly, Daenerys’ story is not unique. Many wild animals are killed so their young can be sold into the illegal pet trade. This cruel practice not only disrupts our ecosystem but also dooms countless animals to suffering and premature death.

Fortunately, Daenerys’ journey had a happy ending. After years of rehabilitation, she was successfully released back into the wild at the end of 2022. We hope she is now thriving in her natural habitat, living the life she was always meant to have.

Daenerys, during her first days at RAREC.