`status in the wild`
The ocelot is an endangered species because they are in great demand for the fur industry, which leads to abuse of existing laws. The fur is expensive since no two animals have identical markings; fur dealers have difficulty in matching pelts.
Demand for ocelot skins have increased much in the mid-1960s, but known exports have dropped since 1970, partly because of new conservation laws, and partly because accessible ocelot supply had been depleted. The ocelot has been on the protected list since 1973 in Peru and Columbia, but many neighboring Latin American countries allow hunting and commerce in the pelts, which are priced up to several hundred dollars in the crude state. The U.S. has forbidden importation of ocelots or their pelts, except under permit, since 1972.