Tucson, Arizona: Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

Entertain yourslf at the Desert Museum

Stripes or Spots? The Desert Museum’s new golden-hued Ocelot gets both

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum welcomes a 2-year-old male Ocelot from the Oregon Zoo. The newest member of the feline exhibit will join a pair of bob cats and a gray fox, said George Carpenter, Curator of the Interpretive Animal Collection.
 
Ocelots are related to two other New World cats: the margay (Leopardus weidii) and the little spotted cat (L. tigrina). Margays and little spotted cats are considerably smaller than ocelots, but are otherwise quite similar. Like other small cats, Ocelots have exceptional vision and hearing abilities. 
 
The once endangered feline was classified as vulnerable and threatened with extinction for almost two decades. The species has been protected by Arizona law since 1970. Today, the only U.S. state where Ocelots live in the wild is Texas, where about 100 of the cats survive, Carpenter said.
 
Today, most wild Ocelots are found in subtropical and tropical regions from around the Mexico/U.S. border south to Uruguay. Ocelots can live in a variety of habitat types including montane forest, thick brush, semi-desert, riparian areas, semi-arid thorn scrub, tropical dry forest, and rainforest below 1200 m. The most consistent feature of their shrubby habitat appears to be a desire for dense cover.   
 
Ocelots are thought to be solitary and highly territorial. Individual territories can range an average of 18 square kilometers in Brazil. Male territories are often two to four times larger than female territories. Multiple female territories are often found within one male’s territory. Both male and female Ocelots use urine and droppings are used to maintain territory boundaries.

Butterfly Festival and Plant Sale September 27-28

Popular Raptor Free Flights To Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Southern Arizona’s Greatest Culinary Treasure Cooks Up Fundraising Feast for Nation’s Leading Outdoor Museum

TUCSON – Janos Wilder, author, culinary entrepreneur and award-winning chef of Janos, J-Bar and KAI – his newest restaurant at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa in Phoenix -- will be hosting his fourth annual fundraiser for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

Known for his pioneering work in Southwestern cuisine using French techniques and locally grown produce, Janos promises diners an evening of exquisite tastes and live visits from Desert Museum raptors and animals.
 
The Desert Museum event, which includes a five-course dinner, will begin at 5 p.m., Sunday, November 4, at Janos, located at the Westin La Paloma, 3770 E. Sunrise Drive. Tickets are $200 per person and the dress is black tie optional. Attendance will be limited to 170. Call (520) 615-6100 for reservations.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The Desert Museum is the nation’s leading outdoor living museum, featuring more than 300 species of native wildlife and 1,300 varieties of desert plants The museum, located at 2021 N. Kinney Rd., is open every day of the year from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March through September and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. October through February. Admission is free for members and children under six, $12 for non-member adults and $4 for children age six through 12 (November through April). Call (520) 883-2702 or visit www.desertmuseum.org for more information.

Janos Wilder

Janos' culinary odyssey reflects his respect for local ingredients and neighborhood gardens, his expertise in French classical and nouvelle cuisine and his great love of the Southwest. His pioneering efforts have pushed Janos to national prominence as a trendsetter and originator in Southwest Cuisine.

In 1990 he wrote Janos: Recipes and Tales from a Southwest Restaurant published by Berkeley's Ten Speed Press. Janos is a member of Tucson Originals, which is a chapter of the Council of Independent Restaurants of America. ciraonline.org and tucsonoriginals.com. More information on Janos, his food and his restaurants can be found at www.janos.com. Wilder and his restaurants have received numerous awards and accolades including:

• James Beard Foundation’s Top Chef in the Southwest
• Four-star Mobil
• Four-diamond AAA
• Wine Spectator Best Award of Excellence
• Distinguished Restaurants of North American Award of Excellence
• Zagat’s America’s Top Restaurant
• Conde Naste Traveller’s Top Restaurants in the Southwest
• Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s Hall of Fame and People’s Choice Awards
• Arizona Republic’s Best Restaurant Award
• Tucson Citizen Silver Spoon Award
• Tucson Lifestyle Top Five Restaurants Selection
• Hispanic Magazine’s Top 50 Restaurants in U.S.
• Phoenix Magazine Master of the Southwest Selection
• Golden Plate Award for Best Appetizer & Best Entree

About the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of the nation’s leading outdoor living museums, featuring more than 300 species of native wildlife and 1,300 varieties of desert plants. The Museum, located at 2021 N. Kinney Rd., is open every day of the year from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March through September, and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. October through February, last admission is 4:15 p.m. Admission is free for members and children under six. September through May admission is $12 for adults and $4 for children age six through 12. Call (520) 883-2702 or visit www.desertmuseum.org for more information.

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