Leopardus wiedii
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The margay (Leopardus wiedii) is a small wild cat native to Mexico, Central and South America. A solitary and nocturnal felid, it lives mainly in primary evergreen and deciduous forest. Until the 1990s, margays were hunted for the wildlife trade, at which point the killing of the species was outlawed in most countries; however, years of hunting resulted in a notable population decrease. Since 2008, the margay has been listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, as the population is thought to be declining due to loss of habitat and deforestation.
The scientific name Felis wiedii was used by Heinrich Rudolf Schinz in 1821 in his first scientific description of the margay, named in honour of Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, who collected specimens in Brazil. The margay is very similar to the larger ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in appearance, although the head is a little shorter, the eyes larger, and the tail and legs longer. It weighs from 2.6 to 4 kg (5.7 to 8.8 lb), with a body length of 48 to 79 cm (19 to 31 in) and a tail length of 33 to 51 cm (13 to 20 in). Unlike most other cats, the female possesses only two teats.
Its fur is brown and marked with numerous... Wikipedia →
Recording0:10
Brazil · 2025
© Charles Boufleur · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belize Zoo | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 2 | Parc des Félins | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Parque Municipal Summit | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Joya Grande | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 5 | Zoológico de San Juan de Aragón | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Senda Verde (Wildlife Sanctuary) | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 7 | Amaru | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 8 | La Paz Waterfall Gardens | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Bioparque Wakatá | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 10 | Parque de la Conservación | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 11 | Zoológico Thomas Belt | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 12 | Parque Zoológico Nacional Simón Bolívar | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 13 | Buenaventura Zoo | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 14 | Croco Cun Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 15 | El Nispero Zoo | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 16 | ARCAS Petén Education Centre | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 17 | Randers Tropical Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 18 | Tiergarten Teltow | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 19 | Erlebniswelt Tier und Natur | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 20 | Arenal Eco Zoo | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 21 | Centro de Rescate Las Pumas | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 22 | National Zoo of Nicaragua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 23 | Parque del Centenario | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 24 | Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 25 | Réserve Zoologique de Calviac | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 26 | Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Margay sighting in Chagres National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 12 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, July, September and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Margay in Chagres National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March–June, August and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Margay sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Margay sightings, Chagres National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Manu National Park (Peru, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Margay is recorded against all the mammals logged in Chagres National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
