Although they are mainly ground hunters, ocelots will expertly climb trees for birds or squirrels, and can easily swim in rivers and ponds for fish. Woodland Park Zoo's ocelots are located in the Tropical Rain Forest. As visitors enter the exhibit, they are immersed in a garden of tropical rain forest plants such as fan palms, bananas, cocoa, figs and hanging liana vines. The ocelot's exhibit so effectively simulates their jungle habitat, they are sometimes unnoticed as they sleep among the branches and vines. The zoo's ocelots also fish for live trout in their pool.
Ocelots are an endangered species.
They are still in high demand for the fur industries in Europe and Asia, which leads to abuse of the already existing laws protecting ocelots and other small cats. Ocelot numbers are also decreasing rapidly as a result of habitat destruction and the black market pet trade. Threatened throughout their entire range, ocelots are also becoming exceedingly rare in several areas. In the U.S., ocelots once ranged throughout the southwest from Arizona to Louisiana, yet now less than 100 ocelots are estimated to be left in Texas. Most have been sent to other zoos to mate with other unrelated ocelots.