Ocelots,also known as painted leopards or leopardus pardalis,are one of the most feline species in the world.Ocelots fur are high demand in the industries in europe and asia because of this reason,some countries have set up new laws to protect ocelot and other small cats.
Their population has decrease due to some of them black markets trade and their habitat destructions cause by some human activites.USA has estimated that there are less then one hundred left.
Female ocelot give birth to two to three baby ocelot in seventy to eighty days of gestation.They are born in dense thicket or among roots of fallen trees.
Females ocelot need about one and a half year to be mature and male ocelot need about two and a half years for be mature.People usually kills the mother ocelots ot obtain their kittens.They sold them to markets at the central and south america and sold them to tourist as pets.In 1970 and 1980,their population started to decline when thousand of ocelot were killed for their furs to be sold in markets.They are still decreasing as there is not enough prey for them to eat.
Source:www.wildcatconservation.org/Ocelot.html
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