SPEAKER 1: They are elusive
and they are endangered.

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

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

live in the Rio Grande Valley.

Sadly, seven of
the rare cats were

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

to cross busy highways.

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

Service, they're designing
special highway crossings

to help the species survive.

Channel 2'S Lauren Freeman
reveals those plans.

HILLARY SWARTS: Sort of
a take on the old riddle

of, why did the
ocelot cross the road?

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

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

Instead of crossing
busy highways,

this safer alternative is under
construction and underpass.

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

LAUREN FREEMAN: So how will
these endangered animals

know where to find
the special crossing?

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

says, cross here, cross here.

LAUREN FREEMAN:
Wildlife staff are

installing chain link fences.

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

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

It's already working in the
Valley between Port Isabel

and Brownsville.

Check out these
surveillance pictures.

HILLARY SWARTS: You
are really talking

about understanding the
animals, biology, movements,

and what they prefer.

LAUREN FREEMAN:
The new underpasses

are being built along
State Highway 106, which

crosses the Laguna atascosa
Wildlife Refuge, where

a new road is expected
to speed up traffic,

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

on the way to
South Padre Island,

four were killed there
trying to cross a big impact

on their tiny population.

Lauren Freeman, KPRC 2 News.

SPEAKER 1: The US Fish
and Wildlife Service

says only about 50
ocelots remain here

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

SPEAKER 2: While
the temps are cool--