Tigrillo specimen is rescued in Kinchil, Yucatán

The endangered species was found wandering the streets of the municipality

MÉRIDA, Yucatán, (December 23, 2021).- A specimen of tigrillo was rescued from the streets of Kinchil, Yucatán, and placed under the protection of the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) to be released to the wild.

The animal of the species Leopardus wiedii was found on the night of this Tuesday, December 14, by a neighbor named Omar, who took it home and notified the authorities.

According to the testimony of the young man, the tiger roamed the streets 30 and 31 of Kinchil before being rescued.

Elements of the Municipal Police took the feline to a veterinarian from the municipality to receive medical attention and remain under guard pending the Profepa inspectors.

It was until this Wednesday, December 15, that the Attorney General’s office went to Luis Dzul’s veterinary office to transfer the animal.

The Leopardus wiedii species is in danger of extinction, so Kinchil authorities asked the inhabitants to report the sightings of these specimens.

The rescued feline will be released as soon as it is considered to be in optimal conditions.

According to information from the Instituto Tecnológico Superior del Sur de Yucatán, the tigrillo is one of the smallest wild spotted cats that exist and barely weighs three to six kilos.

In Yucatán its presence has been reported in the eastern zone, in municipalities such as Tizimín and Valladolid; and in the southern zone in Ticul, Oxkutzcab, Akil and Tekax. 

Source: La Jornada Maya