Ocelot, Northern Peruvian AmazonAs I mentioned yesterday, I was disappointed by not finding certain targeted species of monkeys and frogs while in Peru, but that was all made up for with this unexpected encounter with an ocelot. We were at the end of a night excursion by boat, searching the trees along the river banks for snakes, frogs, nocturnal birds and whatever else we could find. It was getting late and my guide let the driver know it was time to get back to the lodge. About halfway there, he suddenly motioned to stop and turn around. He had spotted the eyes of the ocelot deep into the forest. He proceeded to hop out of the boat and scrambled up the bank. I thought for sure, I’d never see the wild cat as it would undoubtedly disappear into the darkness. About five minutes later, my guide reappeared and excitedly called for me to follow him. I couldn’t believe that the ocelot was still there but sure enough, as soon as I got to the top of the bank there it was staring back at me through a window in the thick foliage. I was able to grab several shots before it slowly turned and vanished back into the rainforest. Ocelots are widespread from southern Arizona and Texas all the way into Argentina. That said, they are rarely seen and prefer to stay far from any human settlement. Most images of wild ocelots are caught on camera traps, or baited stations. It was a thrill to see one eye to eye in its natural habitat. If you notice on the ocelot’s right shoulder, he/she must have had an encounter with a porcupine and picked up some unwelcome accessories. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second, Godox 860iii flash with Better Beamer attachment.