Research synthesis: ocelot conservation status and threats

This synthesis reviews the conservation standing of the ocelot, globally assessed as a species of relatively low extinction risk yet under steady pressure from deforestation, the historical fur trade, illegal capture for the pet trade, and persecution. It contrasts the secure core of the Amazonian range with severely threatened peripheral populations such as those in Texas and parts of the dry Neotropics, where fragmentation and road mortality dominate. The review weighs the evidence base, noting strong camera-trap coverage in some regions and large data gaps in others. It frames priority actions as habitat connectivity, road mitigation, enforcement against trafficking, and targeted genetic rescue for isolated remnants, while emphasizing the species role as an indicator of forest integrity.