WEBVTT

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SPEAKER 1: They are elusive
and they are endangered.

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Only a few dozen of these
beautiful cats, called ocelots,

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are actually left in the
United States, and most of them

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live in the Rio Grande Valley.

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Sadly, seven of
the rare cats were

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killed in just the past year,
hit by traffic while trying

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to cross busy highways.

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That's why TxDOT is now teaming
up with the US Fish and Wildlife

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Service, they're designing
special highway crossings

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to help the species survive.

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Channel 2'S Lauren Freeman
reveals those plans.

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HILLARY SWARTS: Sort of
a take on the old riddle

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of, why did the
ocelot cross the road?

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LAUREN FREEMAN: To reach new
territory or a female mate,

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young ocelot males forced out
of their habitat by older ones.

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Instead of crossing
busy highways,

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this safer alternative is under
construction and underpass.

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HILLARY SWARTS: So were
I a cat, here I would go.

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LAUREN FREEMAN: So how will
these endangered animals

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know where to find
the special crossing?

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HILLARY SWARTS: We can't put
up a sign for the ocelots that

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says, cross here, cross here.

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LAUREN FREEMAN:
Wildlife staff are

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installing chain link fences.

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HILLARY SWARTS: Above this, and
going down along the sides--

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LAUREN FREEMAN: To funnel the
animals in the right direction.

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It's already working in the
Valley between Port Isabel

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and Brownsville.

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Check out these
surveillance pictures.

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HILLARY SWARTS: You
are really talking

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about understanding the
animals, biology, movements,

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and what they prefer.

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LAUREN FREEMAN:
The new underpasses

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are being built along
State Highway 106, which

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crosses the Laguna atascosa
Wildlife Refuge, where

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a new road is expected
to speed up traffic,

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making it just as deadly for
the ocelots as highway 100,

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on the way to
South Padre Island,

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four were killed there
trying to cross a big impact

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on their tiny population.

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Lauren Freeman, KPRC 2 News.

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SPEAKER 1: The US Fish
and Wildlife Service

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says only about 50
ocelots remain here

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in the US most live on that
refuge down in South Texas.

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SPEAKER 2: While
the temps are cool--