The North Carolina Zoo announced the death of Inca, its last ocelot.
“Inca lived a long, full life filled with love and enriching experiences thanks to the extraordinary care she received from our staff over the years," the NC Zoo wrote in a message.
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The average life expectancy for an ocelot is seven to 12 years old in the wild and 15 to 20 years old under human care. Inca was 21 years old when she passed, the zoo said.
The zoo said Inca began showing signs of decline after she lost her long-time mate, Diego, in July 2025.
They were paired together in 2006 at the San Francisco Zoo before moving to the NC Zoo in 2010. The two had 10 kittens together which helped the declining population of ocelots.
“She will be greatly missed not only by the Zoo staff but by the countless visitors who had the privilege of seeing her,” the zoo wrote.
“Keepers will miss Inca’s big personality. Though she may not always have been the easiest to see on habitat due to her amazing camouflage, she was one of the most 'in-your-face' animals in the Desert. Whenever keepers were in the area—no matter where, or what they were doing— they knew Inca would be watching.”
As for bringing another ocelot to the NC Zoo, the zoo says they do not anticipate having another one at this time.
For now, the outdoor habitat will house a white-nosed coati, a new species to the NC Zoo.