Yucatan, Mexico1999.

A male margay, born in the wild but condemned to a life in this tiny cage. He was captured as a kitten when his mother was shot, and he became a "pet." His owners pushed food and water in to him and poked him with sticks for amusement. When they grew tired of him after a couple of years because he was "too wild", they dumped him at the local zoo. There he just sat, and sat, in the same cage, on a table in the office, because all the outside cages were full. His reaction to humans was to back into the corner, shake and let out a wailing growl. Simply putting food in his cage made him panic. When he was still you could see the look of utter hopelessness in his eyes.

We rescued him, together with two other cats from the same zoo, and brought them to our sanctuary. At first he was frightened of the space he had to move in - a house and outdoor enclosure - and crept around close to the walls. Gradually he learned that there were people who would not abuse him, and began to trust us. The day he first took food from our hand was a minor miracle. With a large enclosure to explore, his wasted muscles recovered and then, the most emotional moment of them all. Very quietly at first, and then dashing about till he reached top speed, he began tossing and pouncing on a piece of bark chip. This was something he could not have done since he was a kitten with his mother in the jungle - he had remembered how to play.

La Moskita, Honduras 1998

Report from one of our correspondents: I am appalled at the wanton and seemingly senseless hunting of wildlife for sport. Margays seem to be frequently seen in these parts and to my knowledge three separate cubs have been sold by hunters in the last year for the pet trade - all of whom subsequently died. I have no power to confiscate illegally poached animals and the local police are completely incompetent in these matters and offer no assistance whatsoever.

Belize 1999

A male margay about eighteen months old was being kept in a private house. Another orphan of the wild, he had been exchanged for a rabbit, and reared on tortillas, though he was now getting some steak. This kind of diet would have given him weak bones and teeth. At night he was allowed out of his chicken wire cage in the corner to run round the downstairs room. Margays are renowned as the acrobats of the cat world, leaping in pursuit of their prey through the trees. This "pet" cat demonstrated his arboreal skills by hanging on the handlebars of a bicycle. Although eager to run, he was short of breath. We tried to persuade the owner to hand the cat over, but he refused, and the authorities had nowhere to put the cat if it was confiscated. We gave advice on how to care for him properly, but this was rejected. Later we heard the margay had died of feline enteritis - easily prevented with a simple vaccination.

November 1999. Female margay in a roadside zoo in Mexico. Her right hind leg is broken. She shares the cage with two adult males and has to compete with them to get any food. The zoo staff have not even noticed she is injured.

March 2000. After being rescued and brought to our sanctuary, she has made a complete recovery. Although our veterinarian thought she may be left with a permanent limp, the bone and surrounding tissue have healed perfectly. She can run, jump and climb without pain.