Fewer than 100 ocelots survive in the USA in southern Texas, making it one of the rarest wild cat populations in North America and highly vulnerable to individual welfare incidents.
Ocelots killed on roads in southern Texas die from acute trauma in a population so small that each individual death significantly impacts viability. Animals that survive vehicle strikes require intensive rehabilitation that is stressful for a highly cryptic, solitary species. Habitat fragmentation prevents natural dispersal leaving young ocelots unable to establish territories without crossing dangerous roads. The tiny population size means inbreeding depression is a growing welfare concern. Each individual welfare event in this population has conservation significance disproportionate to that for larger cat populations.