T&T Shot ocelot clings to life after surgery

An ocelot is fighting for survival after being shot and left with severe spinal injuries in what officials are describing as a serious breach of the country’s environmental protection laws. The animal, now named Papaoutai, underwent emergency surgery after X-rays revealed ballistic trauma to his spine. While his condition remains critical, veterinarian Dr Kriyaan Singh, who has been caring for him since he was retrieved from a forested area, says there is cautious optimism.

Papaoutai is being kept at the La Romaine Veterinary Clinic in South Trinidad. “He currently has what we would consider paraparesis. Even though he cannot voluntarily stand up on his hind legs, he does have some voluntary movement. He also has good deep and light pain sensation. That tells us that while there is spinal trauma, it is not a complete severing of the spinal cord,” Singh said of the animal’s current condition.

That distinction, he explained, gives the animal a favourable prognosis, but he said the full extent of the injury will only be known after a CT scan scheduled for Friday. Game warden Steve Persad contacted Singh after receiving video footage of the ocelot in distress in the Cedros-Granville forest on Sunday. By the time the animal arrived at the veterinary facility several hours later, he was severely dehydrated, in shock, and showing limited mobility. A puncture wound beneath the neck initially appeared to be associated with porcupine quills found around the injury site. However, the size and depth of the wound raised suspicion. “With our experience, we suspected a gunshot wound,” Dr. Singh said. Since the procedure, Papaoutai has shown signs of improvement. However, Singh said the CT scan will provide crucial 3D imaging to determine whether additional fragments remain and if further surgical intervention is possible. “If the CT scan is not favourable, we may have to consider euthanasia. But we are hoping for a full recovery,” Singh said, adding the species is environmentally sensitive and an important part of the nation’s biodiversity.

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Find the idiot and euthanize his rass.😡

@sgtdjones

The authorities should find the idiot charge him/her and still send to prison,I read that the Ocelot was shot so the hunter can take away the meal that he caught which was a Porcupine.I didn't know that Cedros had so much forest.

@granite

Yes, I saw that...

It's the closest point to the Amazon Jungle in T&T.

When it rains heavily, the Orinoco River spits out small islands of trees and vegetation that flow into the Columbus Channel. On such vegetation, many animals seek refuge and swim to the southwest coast of T&T when floating by.

Living in Moruga, we would swim out to such floating islands. Large snakes on occasion can be seen swimming to T&T. Cedros at one time had huge coconut plantations until a hurricane sent them flying to the Gulf of Paria.

The 1933 hurricane is the only one to have made direct landfall in the 1930s and one of the few to hit the island directly in recorded history. 

Location: The storm hit extreme southern Trinidad (specifically Cedros and Erin) with winds of 85 mph (137 km/h).

Impact: It severely damaged the coconut and cocoa industry and knocked down 60 oil derricks.

Love for wounded Ocelot named 'Papaoutai'

Papaoutai, the ocelot rescued from Granville, Cedros, with a gunshot wound, is responding well to rehabilitation therapy at the La Romaine Veterinary Clinic under the care of Dr Kriyaan Singh. Dr Singh shared that Papaoutai’s passive range of motion (PROM) therapy is conducted in near-dark conditions using only black lighting. This approach reduces nerve stimulation in the eyes and helps maintain the ocelot’s natural circadian rhythm, essential for nocturnal hunters. During therapy, Singh also manually expresses the animal’s bladder to preserve optimal renal function. He emphasized that Papaoutai remains completely wild and has received no sedation since the initial surgery; the animal’s calm responses are attributed to careful, slow, and coordinated handling.

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 the 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.

The EMA reiterated that ocelots are Trinidad’s only native wildcat and an apex predator vital for maintaining ecological balance in forest ecosystems. Papaoutai’s ongoing care highlights the importance of protecting these keystone species for the health and sustainability of the nation’s biodiversity.

Small signs of hope for shot Ocelot

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.” 😎