ADORABLE! Rare zoo babies: Meet ‘Sriracha’ and ‘Wasabi,’ two new additions to Houston Zoo’s ocelot family

Baby Ocelots 2021 (Houston Zoo)

HOUSTON – Houston Zoo announced two “spicy” additions to the animal family.

Two healthy ocelot cubs -- both brother and sister-- were born on May 29 to mom, Genoveve. Because of their “spicy attitudes,” they were given the names “Wasabi” and “Sriracha.”

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The zoo said in a release both “Sriracha” and Wasabi” are the first ocelot births in 20 years and are significant to ensure the future of the species.

Double the spots! Two healthy ocelot cubs were born on May 29 to mom, Genoveve. The brother and sister duo have been...

Posted by Houston Zoo on Wednesday, July 14, 2021

The cubs will be making their public debut soon, the zoo said. They also said they are well and doing fine with mom behind the scenes.

Ocelots are a medium-sized wildcat with a long ringed tail and slightly-rounded ears. They are different from domesticated cats because they use their ankle joints to climb a tree, according to the zoo.


About the Author:

A graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown, Ana moved to H-Town from sunny southern California in 2015. In 2020, she joined the KPRC 2 digital team as an intern. Ana is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a catmom of 3, and an aquarium enthusiast. In her spare time, she's an avid video gamer and loves to travel.