FOR the first time in 20 years, an ocelot den has been found in the U.S. state of Texas — complete with a tiny male kitten — renewing hopes that the endangered species could be clawing its way back into safety.

    Three ocelots monitored at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Texas have been spotted with kittens following them; a fourth was found to have a tiny male kitten.

    That’s good news for the beautiful wild cats, of which there are just 50 left in the country, Fox News reported.

    Scientists used remote cameras to snap pictures of the kittens roaming around after their mothers. But they had to follow the fourth cat to her den to find the final kitten — a 3-week-old male weighing less than 0.5 kg.

    The scientists were able to sneak into the den, check the baby and leave before the mom, which is estimated to be 11 years old, came back.

    Hilary Swarts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that heavy rainfall had led to increased vegetation that in turn led to larger populations of rabbits and other animals preyed upon by ocelots.

    “With plenty of food and water, and minimal disturbance from humans, female ocelots have all the resources they need to reproduce successfully,” she explained.

    Of the other three females that haven’t been seen with kittens, two have only just reached sexual maturity.

    Ocelots were once found in South Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, but their numbers have fallen in the U.S. due to hunting, poaching and the loss of habitat.

    The Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge’s ocelots are one of the few known breeding populations in the country.

    Ocelots are 40 to 50 cm tall when standing and weigh between 9 and 15 kg.

    (SD-Agencies)