The Struggle for U.S. Ocelots

Bailey Setzler 

“Fourth Endangered Ocelot Killed On Texas Highway”, “Female Ocelot Hit and Killed by Car in Willacy County”, “Ocelot Killed by Car Hurts Population”, “An endangered ocelot was killed in a vehicle collision in south Texas.” These are all common headlines when searching for ocelots in the news and they illustrate a sad truth for ocelot populations—critical endangerment.

In case you’ve never heard of them, ocelots are medium sized spotted cats that resemble a sort of leopard (they are listed under the genus Leopardus, after all), and are cousins of the margay and the oncilla. Its body is usually a pale grey or cinnamon colored underneath a combination of black spots and stripes along its body. 

Ocelot
http://www.banhamzoo.co.uk/Animals/AnimalProfile.aspx?pid=Ocelot 

The ocelot population in the United States started out small – which is not good odds for any species that is hoping to survive on this planet – and included Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Arizona. However, in recent decades this range has been reduced to only two small populations that exist in Texas and together amount to only about 80 individuals.

Habitat Range: Historic - Current
https://wryheat.wordpress.com/tag/ocelot/

            This population decline soon resulted in the ocelot being listed as an endangered species by the ICUN Red List and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Originally, ocelots were listed due to hunting and overexploitation for their unique coats that are were in demand as a consumer sign of wealth.

Ocelot Coat
https://www.flavorpaper.com/wallpaper/murals/ocelot

Though the amount of ocelot poaching has decreased in recent years, a new threat has surfaced: habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation. This habitat loss has occurred at staggering levels and according to the Fish and Wildlife Service, this is mostly caused by deforestation, agriculture, and ranching, as well as the construction of other human developments such as cities and the roads that connect them.

           

The Fish and Wildlife Service has evaluated the plight of the ocelot and created a Recovery Plan in order to try and avoid the extinction of the species. This recovery plan includes six steps: 

1. Assess, protect, reconnect, and restore sufficient habitat to support viable ocelot populations.
2. Reduce the human effects of population growth. One solution is to create what is known as habitat corridors. Habitat corridors serve as a bridge or tunnel to allow animals to bypass human developments, such as roads, that separate their viable habitats without the risk of being injured or killed by cars.

   

   Illustration of a Habitat Corridor
   http://www.fastcodesign.com/1662800/can-a-wildlife-bridge-fix-americas-8-billion-roadkill-problem

3. Maintain ocelot fitness, demographic conditions and health.
4. Get local landowners, regulations, and the public on board with the plan. Ocelots would not be able to survive without support from the community that shares their habitat. Landowners can give the ocelot a higher chance of survival simply by preserving ocelot habitat on their properties.
5. Monitor recovery and revise the recovery tasks in coordination with the Ocelot Recovery Implementation Team. The Fish and Wildlife Service knows that the problems plaguing ocelot populations are not static or permanent. Over time, the threats to the species may change as they have done in the past.
6. Get other countries on board with conservation efforts. Ocelots are not restricted to the United States and will have a better chance of survival if all of their populations are preserved through international support for conservation efforts. 

            So, now it is important to ask “What can we do?” It is not practical for the Fish and Wildlife Service to bear the burden of saving a species that is in danger because of our actions as a whole. We need to become advocates for wildlife. Here are some steps that we can take:

·      Informing our family, friends, and community about the problems threatening ocelot populations.

·      Contact the media. The media has the ability to reach a wider audience and if many people are concerned about the issue they can work together to make a difference.

·      Contact your local officials. If local officials believe that much of their constituency is advocating for an issue, they will be more likely to support that issue and push for legislation that will make their constituency happy. To find your local representative you can visit www.opencongress.org to find their contact information.

           

Bibliography

"Basic Facts About Ocelots." Defenders of Wildlife. N.p., 11 Apr. 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2015 <http://www.defenders.org/ocelot/basic-facts>.

DuHamel, Jonathan. "Rosemont and Some Troublesome Cats." Wryheat.N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec.2015. <https://wryheat.wordpress.com/tag/ocelot/>.

"Female Ocelot Hit and Killed by Car in Willacy County." KGBT ValleyCentral.com. Associated Press, 29 June 2015. Web. 04 Dec. 2015 <http://valleycentral.com/news /local/femaleocelot-hit-and-killed-by-car-in-willacy-county?id=1223851>.

"Find Your Senators and Representatives." - OpenCongress. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.<https://www.opencongress.org/people/zipcodelookup>.

Kayleigh Sommer. "Ocelot Killed by Car Hurts Population." Valley Morning Star. AIM Media, 18 July 2014. Web. 04 Dec. 2015. <http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/local_news /article_789a0832-0ef0-11e4-9a89-001a4bcf6878.html>.

"Ocelot Killed on State Highway 101." Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Facebook, n.d.Web. 04 Dec. 2015. <https://www.facebook.com/texasparksandwild life/posts/10151770782513693>.

Robbins, Elaine. "Last Stand for U.S. Ocelots?" National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 03 June 2014. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/ 2014/06/140603-ocelots-cats-wildlife-recovery-habitat-loss-panther-highway/>.

Swarts, Hillary, and Mitch Sternberg. "Fourth Endangered Ocelot Killed on Texas Highway." U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. N.p., 14 July 2014. Web. 3 Dec. 2015. <http://www.fws. gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ref=fourth-endangered-ocelot-killed-on-texas-highway &_ID=34623>.