Endangered Animal: Ocelot
By:Bianca Guitz
Facts:
•Twice the size of a large house cat
•It grows up to 4.5 feet
•Weighs as much as 35 lbs
•They can swim well
•They do not have chewing teeth but instead have sharp back teeth which they use for tearing their food apart & swallowing whole
•Females have litters of 2 or 3 kittens
Endangered
These large cats are targeted often by hunters because of their fur. This is a huge cause of their endangerenment here in Texas. Another factor contributing to the decline is their habitats being destroyed. There is thought to be less than 1,000 overall and only 100 in South Texas.Anti-poaching activists are taking measures to protect them. There has been a restriction on fur trade and many people against poaching have boycotted these products made from their fur which has affected the hunters business. In addition to that, the U.S wildlife service has signed a 30 yr landmark safe harbour for this animal. They signed these contracts with landowners in several counties. By signing this, the landowners agree to make their land more suitable for these animals and in return will not face regulatory restrictions in the future and are given financial support. The landowners make the land more suitable for the ocelots by planting things such as thorn scrub. This gives the animals more land to live on and increase their population. This has proven to be a success with the U.S wildlife service having acquired 2,500 acres of land already.
Bibliography
"Ocelot Facts - National Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
"About the Endangered Ocelot in Texas | The Nature Conservancy." About the Endangered Ocelot in Texas | The Nature Conservancy. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
"Endangered Ocelot Gets Protection in USA." Wildlife Extra News -. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.