OcelotAlexB

 **Diet:** Carnivore. Rabbits, Frogs, Iguanas,rodents, monkeys, birds and fish. The Ocelot is a fierce jungle cat, one of the smallest, it is elusive and nocturnal. They are limber and can climb around in the trees using their tails for balance. They live in the trees so they can catch their pray that lives in the treetops, such as birds and monkeys. Ocelots also live in dense thornscrub. Their fur is beautiful and is also used to break up the outline of their bodies while they hunt in the dimly lit night. The ocelot is one of the rarest cats and need to be protected. Most people have never seen the ocelot in the wild. The Ocelot is found in Central and South America but has also been seen as far north as Texas. They normally live under leaf covered canopies but have adapted to human population growth and have been seen in villages and other settlements. The ocelot is endangered. They are in danger for three reasons. The first reason is that they are hunted for their beautiful fur. The second reason is that there is habitat loss. The last reason is that they migrate and while migrating in Texas many of them get hit by cars from moving to one place to the next. Also the walls put up between borders seclude the ocelots into one area and they cant find other mates or other animals to hunt. Because of inbreeding they would eventually just die out since they are so secluded. The ocelot was first put on the endangered species list on March 30, 1972 as a foreign species. On July 25, 1980 it was placed on the United States endangered species and on August 22, 1990 The service published a recovery plan for cats in Arizona and Texas focusing on ocelots. Ocelots cant be imported into the United States without a permit, some zoos have them but have to have a permit for one first. Most zoos in the U.S that have ocelots they are mixed breeds and subspecies of ocelot and using them to fight extinction by reproduction wouldn't solve the problem. Zoos in Brazil that have a large population ocelots that are the same species as the wild ocelots but need help starting and maintaining a successful conservation program. The Brazilian Ocelot Consortium was founded as a conservation partnership under the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's Felid Taxon Advisory Group that helps the survival of ocelots and develop a comprehensive management that addresses conservation needs in both the field and in the zoos. The Naples Zoo's staff provides training in diverse agro-forestry practices with local communities to create new habitat for wildlife around forests that have been destroyed. The creations of the forests help ocelots, jaguars, and other rare species. There is hope for the future of the ocelots. Many landowners have agreed to help the conservation groups by planting thornscrub since it helps not only the ocelots but many game animals. They expect to have more cooperation as time goes on as more people see the results and benifits of planting the thornscrubs on their property. Many zoos are also breeding ocelots in hopes of bringing the numbers up.
 * Scientific Name**:Leopardus pardalis
 * About the Ocelot:**
 * Timeline of Ocelot's endangerment:**
 * Ocelot Conservation Efforts:**
 * The Future for Ocelots:**