While filming the ocelot kittens, filmmaker Ben Masters compares his experience as a new parent to the mother ocelot. He later brings his infant into the field to “help” with camera trapping.
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TRANSCRIPT
(birds chirping) - [Narrator] I couldn't help but to admire Mama Jane and all she did to raise her young.
(birds chirping) Everyday she was out hunting to feed herself and her offspring.
And she had no choice but to leave them alone and vulnerable for hours at a time.
Which is something that I couldn't imagine.
(bird chirping continues) She likes the Mets.
- [Wife] She does.
- Are you having a good time, Bird? - Are you having a good time?
- My wife gave birth to our first child, Birdie, as we were camera trap in the Ocelot kittens.
- [Wife] This is so cute.
I'm gonna cry. (laughter) - [Narrator] Her first stuffed animal was an obvious choice.
(baby laughs) I know it's ridiculous but I couldn't help but notice how pampered my baby was compared to the Ocelots out in the brush.
(rain spitting) Seeing what those kittens could live through made me a little bit more willing to have Birdie be free range.
Which was nice, because she quickly got tough enough to help out with the camera trapping.
- She got some leaves.
- Got some leaves.
Cute and Trigger.
You ready?
- [Narrator] You think a lot about the future when you have a kid.
(birds chirping) What lessons you can teach them that will set them up for success.
What skills you can pass on.
You'll do pretty much anything to give them the best chance at life.
This ocelot mom, she's doing everything she can to successfully raise her young.
But she has no idea that her and her kittens represent 3% of the entire US population.
She has no clue how important the survival of her kittens is for this species.
