Charismatic Bobcat Inspires Thousands

It was a rather sad event last week that showed the effect that wild animals can have on people. After reading that Ochoco, our bobcat, died last week at the advanced age of 20, scores of people commented on the Museum’s Facebook page. The response illustrates the role this charismatic animal played in the Museum’s work, helping thousands connect to the High Desert wildlife.

Ochoco was one of the first animals that visitors would meet, as he roamed a forested atrium in the entrance hall. They recalled him in their online comments:

“On a recent visit to the museum, we watched him devour a meal, then stroll and stretch in the sun,” one guest wrote. “He looked happy and peaceful, and we'll remember him that way.”

Another posted, “Thank you Ochoco for sharing your life with all the… visitors and allowing us to learn about your species.”

And another: “So sad to lose a friend. I always stopped by to visit. Big hug to his caregivers.”

Bobcats are nocturnal, elusive, and rarely seen in the wild, so Ochoco instilled a sense of wonder and excitement about the natural world. He came to the Museum in 2005, after state police confiscated him as an illegally owned pet. Born in captivity, de-clawed, he lived with several different owners before coming here.

The wild cat initially had been considered aggressive, but after being well-cared for and secure in his surroundings here, he became relaxed. Wildlife specialists used techniques that enriched his life, such as hiding treats for him to find, or changing his surroundings by temporarily moving him into a different atrium, with new sights and smells. Staff as well as visitors grew fond of him, and his lifespan was nearly double that of a bobcat in the wild.

He was being treated for terminal liver cancer, diagnosed four months ago. Last week, his health began deteriorating rapidly, and he was euthanized by the Museum’s vet. His legacy, however, of bringing people closer to native animals, and inspiring them to be good stewards of the region's wild, natural habitats and resources, endures.

How to Touch a Poison Dart Frog

Tiny, colorful, pretty and deadly: the poison dart frog is arguably the world’s most lethal animal. Their poison is used in blowgun darts by native peoples of South America. Want to know the cool trick (ok, it’s really science) behind how our staff can handle them?

Well, here at the Museum, we feed the dart frogs crickets and fruit flies. In tropical forests, they get their toxin from other kinds of insect prey, probably ants and mites. As long as they aren’t eating those kinds of bugs, they’re not poisonous, so we can touch them.

In our lush, re-created habitats, you can observe these amphibians, as small as your fingertip, shining and vibrant. Imagine you are one of the Emberá people in Columbia, in search of this tiny creature for its toxic secretions for poisoning darts used in blowguns. Poisoned tips will help in hunting small prey faster.

Yet the story of these gems of the rainforest goes beyond poisons and blowguns, with larger lessons about biological diversity.

Birds and reptiles quickly learn to avoid the nasty tasting frogs, who display their toxicity with brilliant colors and striking patterns. The strategy is so effective that an entire second suite of frog species mimics the colors and sizes of dart frogs. These imitators aren’t toxic in the least, but ride on the coattails of those that are.

They don’t have to hide high in trees, and can be active in daytime, near the ground, where prey is more abundant. And they are among the few amphibians that can pair up and care for their offspring together.

Who'd imagine that poison could help with good parenting?

Come and discover more amazing stories of nature at our latest exhibit, "Leapers & Creepers: the Living World of Frogs and Reptiles."