Being hit by automobiles is a leading cause of ocelot deaths in the wild. Culverts designed for ocelots under heavily traveled roads could be dowsed with scents that attract the cats. With ocelots taking the protected passageways, they would avoid traffic. There are about 50 to 100 ocelots remaining in the wild in the United States, all in South Texas. About 35 of the cats live on or adjacent to Laguna Atascosa.
Ocelots are a federally protected species.