Ocelot Tracks, Rio Viejo, Puriscal

About an hour after sundown, we frequently hear two or three loud wildcat yowls. Some nights the sound originates from deep within the valley, other evenings it's very close to the house. I asked a few locals what type of cat makes that call and they said Jaguarundi. Research on the internet tells me Jaguarundis are primarily active during the day. I even saw one once during a mid morning walk. I was skeptical about the identification.

The other morning, after a hard rain the prior evening, I went to the river and saw fresh cat tracks in the sand. They were big, about 6cm in length. I consulted the CR animal tracks guide and I'm fairly confidant they are Ocelot. The internet tells me Ocelots are mostly nocturnal so I am now thinking the cat yowls we often hear are Ocelot and not Jaguarundi. It's good to know an Ocelot has taken up residence on the property.