-->“What is man without the beasts?
When all the beasts are gone,
Men will die from a great loneliness of spirit,
For whatever happens to the beasts, also happens to man.
All things are connected.”

Chief Seattle


The Ocelot, also known as a Dwarf Leopard
Is a wild feline, that thrived here for centuries
Then, we began slaughtering them, for their fur
We became Ocelot Destroyers, their only enemies

I was always thrilled, whenever I would spot one
While I was camping out in our southern canyons
Today, there are only fifty of them left in the U.S.
Another victim of mass annihilation by modern man

They once thrived throughout our southern regions
Places like Arkansas, Louisiana, Arizona, and Texas
But we’ve taken their homes, with our urban sprawl
Only fifty of them still remain, and they will not last

Decades have now passed, since we should have begun protecting them
But our government has done virtually nothing, to ensure that they survive
Today, as they struggle to find some sanctuary, in their ever dwindling world
They are being run down on our highways; today, just fifty of them are still alive

In the United States, the Ocelot count is now believed to be only around 50 individuals. A century ago, there were over 50,000 Ocelots in the U.S., but we have done nothing to help them survive.

While there are still some Ocelots roaming Mexico, Central America, and South America, their remaining U.S. territory is heartbreaking. These wild cats went from claiming several states in America as their home, to two small populations located in Texas.

And today, our highways are the number one threat to these few remaining wild felines. According to National Geographic, 6 of the 14 remaining Ocelots in one small area of Texas were recently killed in deaths involving vehicles.

©2014, Mr. Ed