LAGUNA VISTA, Texas - The annual celebration of Texas’ beloved native cat, Ocelot Conservation Day, returned to the Rio Grande Valley on March 7.
It was held at the South Texas Ecotourism Center in Laguna Vista.
Now in its 29th year, the event was hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, and Defenders of Wildlife, to celebrate the ongoing collaboration across South Texas to protect one of the state’s most threatened and iconic animals.
Edward P. Meza, director of the South Texas Ecotourism Center, was thrilled to see a huge turnout for Ocelot Conservation Day. Hundreds of people attended to learn more about ocelots and the efforts underway in South Texas to preserve the species.
The Rio Grande Guardian interviewed Meza about Ocelot Conservation Day and the South Texas Ecotourism Center:
This was the line up of speakers at Ocelot Conservation Day, 2026:
An image from Ocelot Conservation Day, 2026:
