Ocelots are small wild cats facing severe population fragmentation from roads and development in Central and South America, with vehicle collisions a leading cause of death in populations near human settlements.
Ocelots killed in vehicle collisions suffer acute trauma, with death often not instantaneous. Injured but non-lethally struck animals may survive days with internal injuries before dying or being found. Population fragmentation by roads creates a connectivity crisis for small isolated populations like the Texas ocelots, where genetic isolation over generations reduces viability. Every road-killed ocelot in a small isolated population represents a significant genetic and demographic loss. Wildlife crossing infrastructure specifically designed for small cats has demonstrated effectiveness in maintaining movement across road barriers, reducing collision mortality while enabling the genetic exchange that isolated populations need to survive.