Photo of an ocelot, now named Himdam, in July 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Russ McSpadden/Center for Biological Diversity
A rare, endangered ocelot that's been documented roaming through southern Arizona for the past two years has a new name — Himdam, which means "traveler" in the O'odham language.
The big picture: Himdam was first spotted in the Atascosa Highlands in 2024 and has since been detected in the Whetstone Mountains, Patagonia Mountains and Santa Rita Mountains, per the Center for Biological Diversity.
A study published last month found that the big cat traveled 111 miles across four mountain ranges over the course of more than a year. It's the longest documented movement of an ocelot.
Zoom in: Students in the San Xavier school district on the Tohono O'odham Nation, which encompasses areas where the ocelot's been spotted, pitched the name "Himdam" because "he's always on the move," said Isaac Valencia, a member of the district's Voices of Our Youth program.
What they're saying: "Our youth took the time to learn, reflect and name this animal in our language, honoring both its journey and our responsibility to protect it," said Austin Nunez, chair of the San Xavier District.
