Ocelot ATTACK!

- I'm Coyote Peterson and this is an

ocelot

. Hey buddy, ah, geez, he bit me on the face. (wild music) There's an old saying that things go bump in the night. And if you're exploring the darkness of Costa Rica's most diverse region, the Osa Peninsula, those bumpy things also lurk quietly in the shadows. Just before they charge, they swoop in and

attack

. Wow, that's a wild

ocelot

. It's 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's nightly menu.

Well, let me tell you what we're going through here, this is really unique. Now that we are out at night, looking for reptiles and amphibians, walking along the trail, I literally stop and shine my light on this giant wolf spider. The largest wolf spider I have ever seen. And out of the darkness, I hear (tap) and boom, an ocelot flies past me. Now let me see if I can get it back. She likes my snake stick. (snap) Wait this. There she is. Look at that, she's coming up here. Ah, ah, she's

attack

ing my arm. Where are you?

Come here. There she is. Look what I have in my hands, look at that ocelot. Hey buddy. Wow, and it weighs a lot more than you think. Okay, can you stay here to watch the scene? We can play with the snake stick. She will be everywhere while we film. This is a wild cat, however, it is used to humans. She hangs out on this trail, we were told if you walk this trail at night you are very likely to run into her. Let's see, what else do I have for you to play? Let's see what we have in my backpack.

I'm sure there's something here that a little ocelot would love. Oh yeah, here we go. I took off my backpack and now it's on my back. Maybe just the package itself. Check it out. Oh yeah, fight with the pack? Fight with the pack, huh? Get it, get it. Look at that coloration. Now this cat blends in so seamlessly into its surroundings that all these cryptic patterns allow it to stay hidden in the shadows as they move through all this foliage. Come here. Come here for a second. I'm just going to hold on to you. (grunt) Rawr, and you risk a bite and a scratch.

A paw in the face, a paw in the face? How about a little belly rub? (meow) Yes, I hear you talking. Do you have that package? (meow) Can you see her face? Wow, look at that. This is like a big house cat. He's only about half grown at this point, but look, he weighs about 25 pounds. Oh, I see you, oh, yeah, okay, oh, ah. Oh, she's biting my ear. Oh, she bites, ouch. Was it a kiss or a bite? Oh, you're so cute, you're so cute, you are. But don't go for my jugular. These cats are deadly once fully grown and can take down almost anything found here in the Costa Rican rainforest.

All they have to do is run, jump, sink those front claws in and then a bite to the jugular and she'll have food. Wow, that was crazy. Kissed by an ocelot. Where would you go? (rattling) There she is. And the jump. - Woah, (mumbles) the cameraman called. -Now she has found the microphone. - No, no, no, uh oh. I think we need a new microphone. - We only need one for an ocelot to play. - I knew it was a matter of time. -She was expecting creepy crawlies, not something as cute, woah, as an ocelot. Hey, you have to land right, you know that?

That's what she does, she's been jumping, come here, from log to log and she literally throws herself over the log. Oh, wow, "let it go," she says, oh. - So, Coyote, is this weird? - This is probably the most unique thing I've ever done with an animal. Oh yeah, now she's got me. Look, that's what she would want, she goes for the jugular, I hope she doesn't bite me hard, ah. Okay, okay, I'll keep my eyes closed so I don't poke my eyeball. That would be bad. Watch this. - Just so everyone knows, this is not a captive animal. - No, this is a wild ocelot, 100% wild right now.

I would never recommend that you go out into the wild and try to get that close to an ocelot because if it didn't want to play, it could really cause serious damage. And she's just loving me right now. You are the most adorable thing I think I have ever met. Wow, yeah, you probably put a number on my hat, right? We'll see. - So this is 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. See those legs there?

I see, yes, you are trying to hit me in the face with those paws. Those legs are how they climb so well through this rainforest ecosystem. Is she after me right now? - Yes, they will probably attack you. - I feel like when I do these kinds of movements, that's when she jumps. And that's what they do, they crawl very slowly, staying hidden, and then they see a sudden movement like this, oh, and they do that, a paw in the mouth, they go right for the neck, or the head for that matter. Case, ah, God, they just bit me in the eye.

And then they have dinner. Oh, oh, oh, she's licking my ear. That feels weird, I've never had an ocelot lick my ear before, the first time ever. Ah, yes, it's good that he's training right there, he's going for my neck. Hopefully, she won't inflict that mortal wound. Oh, oh, oh, oh, ahh. Yes, okay, okay, yes, you're there. I see you, you are very playful. Now, if I were one of her littermates, this is exactly how she would play. You know, those claws are sharp, the teeth are sharp, I'm getting little jabs here and there, but nothing I can't handle.

Not being so close to such a cool rainforest creature. I'm Coyote Peterson, be brave, stay wild, see you on the next adventure. I'm sure it's probably pretty hard to believe what you just witnessed. Coyote Peterson, living with a wild ocelot. But believe it or not, it's completely true. For almost three hours, this curious cat followed the crew and me through the rainforest as we observed and filmed her behavior in a completely natural habitat. Such an encounter with a wild animal is something you can only dream of. And I feel incredibly lucky to have shared these moments with a truly special cat.

If you thought dating an ocelot was cool, be sure to watch the scene where she tried to eat a crab. And don't forget, subscribe to join me and the team this season of Breaking Trail. (nature sounds)