Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor:  Lee Bullen, Agency: Newsflash

A cute newborn kitten found trapped in the undercarriage of a lorry was taken to a wild animal rehabilitation centre after being mistakenly identified as an ocelot.

Although not regarded as at risk, ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) populations, particularly in Mexico, have been decimated in recent years, although they are still present in other areas of South America and the United States where they are protected against hunting. There are believed to be around 40,000 ocelots in existence.

The kitten was mistakenly identified as an ocelot and taken to the animal rehabilitation centre after being rescued from a lorry’s undercarriage in the south-eastern Brazilian city of Cubatao, in the state of Sao Paulo.

The driver, who was on assignment, had stopped off at a lorry rest area for lunch. Upon turning off his engine, he heard meowing coming from underneath his vehicle.

He found it was a young feline and called the environmental police, who came to rescue it on 20th September.

He was unsure as to how the animal had ended up under his lorry.

The environmental police incorrectly identified the animal as an ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) that would have only been born just a few days prior.

They took it to the Instituto Gremar, an NGO in nearby Guaruja that specialises in environmental monitoring and (mainly marine) animal rescue and rehabilitation, where they realised it was actually a domestic cat. (https://bit.ly/365D5Nj)

A spokesperson from the institute said the kitten was well and it has now been taken to an adoption centre.

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