Keep Papaoutai in your prayers, urged veterinarian Dr Kriyaan Singh, who has been providing medical care to the ocelot that suffered injuries from a gunshot wound on the weekend.
The rescued ocelot was scheduled to undergo CT (computed tomography) scans on Friday for detailed imaging of his injuries.
Dr Singh has been nursing the injured ocelot since it was rescued from a forested area in Granville, Cedros, where it was found with a gunshot injury.
The ocelot has been responding well to rehabilitation therapy at the La Romaine Veterinary Clinic under the care of Singh, who named the ocelot “Papaoutai”.
In a post on Facebook on Thursday about the medical condition and progress, Dr Singh wrote, “Papaoutai had a long day today. He was visited by various persons involved in the conservation of ocelots. They were all very pleased to see his current stage of recovery and impressed with the level of care he has been receiving. Tonight he received his PROM therapy while under oxygen as well. This made a significant difference in his strength, response times, ability to complete voluntary hind limb and tail movements and considerably more strength in his front limbs,”.
The post continued, “Other small but important signs is he’s started grooming his front limbs and when I bathe n brush stimulate him he also licks. In felines, the return of grooming is a key sign in their behavioural recovery from severe trauma and stress. Tomorrow is his big day and we are all looking forward to good news on his CT scans. Keep him in your prayers.”
Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, Kennedy Swaratsingh, who oversees environmental matters, commended citizens, game wardens, and veterinary staff for their rescue and care of the ocelot. He highlighted that the incident follows a fatal shooting of another ocelot in December 2025 and condemned attacks on protected wildlife.
The ocelot is legally designated as an Environmental Sensitive Species (ESS) under Section 41 of the Environmental Management Act. Violations carry fines up to TT$100,000 and imprisonment for up to two years. Other ESS include the scarlet ibis, white-tailed sabre-wing hummingbird, pawi, manatees, golden tree frog, and five species of sea turtles—the leatherback, green, loggerhead, olive ridley, and hawksbill.