-
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--
