- I'm Coyote Peterson, and this is an ocelot.
Hi, buddy, ah, jeeze, bit me right in the face.
(wild music)
There's an old saying that things go bump in the night.
And if you are out exploring the darkness of
Costa Rica's most diverse region, the Osa Peninsula,
those things that go bump also
stalk stealthily in the shadows.
Just before they charge, pounce and attack.
Woah, that's a wild ocelot.
It's just right here at my feet.
Look at that, how cool is that?
Fortunately for me,
in the encounter you are about to witness,
I was about to become a playmate
and not an item on the rainforest nightly menu.
Okay, so let me tell you what we have going on here,
this is really unique.
Now, we're out night night herping,
looking for reptiles and amphibians,
walking down the trail, I literally stop
and I'm shining my light on this giant wolf spider.
Biggest wolf spider I've ever seen.
And out of the darkness, I hear (pitter patter)
and boom, an ocelot just zooms right past me.
Now lemme see if I can get her back.
She likes my snake stick.
(clacking)
Wait for this.
There she is.
See that, she's gonna come right up here.
Ah, ah, she's attacking my arm.
Where are you?
Come here.
There she is.
Look what I've got in my hands,
look at that ocelot.
Hey, buddy.
Wow, and she is a lot heavier than you would think.
Okay, can you stay here for the scene?
We can play with the snake stick.
She's gonna be all over the place while we're filming.
This is a wild cat, however she is used to humans.
She hangs out on this trail,
we were told if you walk this trail at night
there's a good chance you will come across her.
Let's see, what else do I maybe have for you to play with?
Let's see what we've got in my pack.
I'm sure there's something in here that
a little ocelot would love.
Oh, yeah, there we go.
Took the pack off and now she's on my back.
Maybe just the pack itself.
Look at that.
Oh yeah, wrestle with the pack?
Wrestle with the pack, huh?
Get it, get it.
Look at that coloration.
Now this cat blends so perfectly into it's environment,
all this cryptic patterning allows him to stay hidden
in shadows as they're moving through all of this foliage.
Come here.
You come here for a second.
I'm just gonna hold on to you. (growl)
Rawr, and take the risk of a bite and a scratch.
A paw to the face, a paw to the face?
How about a little belly rub? (meow)
Yeah, I hear you talking.
You've got that pack? (meow)
Can you see her face?
Woah, look at that.
Now this is just like a big housecat.
She's only about half grown right now,
but look, she weighs about 25 pounds.
Oh, I see you, oh, yeah, okay, oh, ah.
Oh, she's biting my ear.
Oh, she bite, ow.
Was that a kiss or a bite?
Oh, you're so cute, you're so cute, you are.
Don't go for my jugular, though.
These cats are lethal once fully grown
and they can take down pretty much anything that's out here
in the Costa Riccan rainforest.
All they have to do is run, leap, sink in those front claws
and then a bite to the jugular and she's got a meal.
Wooh, that was crazy.
Kissed by an ocelot.
Where'd you go? (rattling)
There she is.
And the pounce.
- [Crewman] Woah, (mumbles) got the cameraman.
- [Coyote] Now she has found the microphone.
- [Crewman] No, no, no, uh oh.
I think we need a new mic.
- [Coyote] We just need one for an ocelot to play with.
- [Crewman] I knew it was a matter of time.
- I was expecting creepy crawlies, not something as cute,
woah, as an ocelot.
Hey you, you've gotta get that landing down,
you know that?
That's what she does, she's been leaping, come here,
from log to log and she literally launches over the log.
Oh, woah, "Let go," she says, oh.
- [Crewman] So, Coyote, is this rare?
- This is probably the most unique thing
I have ever done with an animal.
Ah, yeah, she's got a hold of me now, there.
See, that's what she'd want, she's going for the jugular,
hopefully she just doesn't bite me hard, ah.
Okay, alright, I'm keeping my eyes closed,
so I don't take a claw in the eyeball.
That would be bad.
Look at this.
- [Crewman] Just so everybody knows,
this is not a captive animal.
- No, this is a wild ocelot, 100% wild right now.
I would never recommend you go out in the wild
and ever try to get this close to an ocelot
because if it didn't wanna play,
it could really do some serious damage.
And she is just loving me right now.
You are just the most adorable thing I think I've ever met.
Wow, yeah, probably did a number on my hat, didn't you?
Let's see.
- [Crewman] So is this a kitten?
- This is a kitten, she's probably only a few months old
and you can see those paws, come here,
let's take a look at your paws.
You see those paws right there?
I see, yeah, you're trying to whack me in the face
with those paws.
Those paws are how they climb so well
through this rainforest ecosystem.
Is she behind me right now?
- [Crewman] Yeah, you're probably gonna get pounced.
- I feel like when I make these sort of movements,
that's when she pounces.
And that's what they do, they creep up really slowly,
staying hidden,
and then they see a sudden movement like this, ah,
and they do that, a paw in the mouth,
they go right for the neck, or the head in this case, ah,
jeeze, I just got bit in the eye.
And then they have their dinner.
Ouch, oh, oh, she's licking my ear.
That feels weird, I've never had my ear licked before
by an ocelot, first time for everything.
Ah, yep, that's good she's training right there,
she's going for the back of my neck.
Hopefully she's not gonna inflict that death wound.
Ow, ow, ow, ow, ahh.
Yeah, okay, alright, yes, you're there.
I see you, you're so playful.
Now if I was one of her litter mates,
this is exactly how she's be playing.
You know, those claws are sharp, the teeth are sharp,
I'm getting slight little itty bitty punctures
here and there, but nothing I can't take.
Not to be this close to such a cool rainforest creature.
I'm Coyote Peterson, be brave, stay wild,
we'll see you on the next adventure.
I'm sure it's probably pretty hard to believe
what you've just witnessed.
Coyote Peterson, pal-ing around with a wild ocelot.
But believe it or not, it's completely true.
For nearly three hours, this curious cat
followed the crew and I through the rainforest
as we observed and filmed her behaviorisms
in a totally natural habitat.
This sort of an encounter with a wild animal
is something one can only dream of.
And I feel incredibly fortunate
to have shared these moments in time
with one truly special cat.
If you thought hanging out with an ocelot was cool,
make sure to check out the scene
where she tried to eat a crab.
And don't forget, subscribe to join me and the crew
on this season of Breaking Trail.
(nature sounds)