16 Sep 2013

African Golden Cat, Caracal and Serval in the Central African Republic

by Peter Cromer | posted in: Cats in the wild, Cats of Africa | 0

By Raffael Hickisch and Thierry Aebischer

We report here that all three species of the caracal lineage were recorded in the same areas of the Chinko/Mbari drainage basin of eastern Central African Republic. Using camera traps we recorded African golden cat three times at one site, 190 km north of its recognized range. The caracal was recorded once, 250 km south of its recognized range and 7 km from where the golden cat was recorded. Finally, the serval was recorded on 12 events, 4 km from where the golden cat was recorded. The indication of this sympatric presence of all three species of the caracal lineage has not been reported for many (if any) areas in Africa and is worthy of further investigation.

These findings are remarkable. The occurrence of golden cat in the highly fragmented savannah/rainforest patch at that latitude was unexpected. Given that the golden cat is known as a forest and deep forest dweller, one would expect to see it 200 km away in the contiguious lowland forest. The fact that we detected serval 4 km away and caracal 7 km away from the site of the golden cat captures show that all three species occur within close range of each other.

african golden cat — African golden cat recorded by camera trap in the Chinko/Mbari basin, CAR in the early morning.

According to known species ranges, there are very few areas that actually indicate a possibly sympatric presence of all three species, and we believe this to be the first documentation of such an occurrence.

Surprisingly, our camera traps did not record a single African wild cat Felis silvestris, nor did we see tracks on this species on the line transects. Additionally, safari hunting staff operating in this area since 2007 have failed to record this small cat in the area. According to published distribution maps, we would expect to find this fourth member of the African small cats in the Chinko/Mbari drainage basin.

serval — Serval recorded by camera trap in the Chinko/Mbari basin at 03:00 hr.

Because of this curious finding, we plan to publish a comprehensive analysis of all predator events the camera traps recorded in 2012 and more findings on occurrence, abundance and habitat preference of species from the caracal lineage as soon as possible. We will continue to generate and share relevant data in the coming years of research and conservation work in the Chinko/Mbari drainage basin.

Male caracal recorded by camera trap in a semo-open savannah patch

Pressure on this important area is expected to increase with poaching, land use changes, and political unknowns, underlining the need to understand this unique habitat and its functioning to prepare for future precautions.

Source: IUCN Cat News 58, Spring 2013

8 Sep 2013

Whose wild idea was this?

by Wanda Angermeyer | posted in: Cats in the wild | 2

Costa Rican officials announced in July that they are planning to close two zoos in the spring of 2014 in the interests of the animals welfare. The Simon Bolivar Zoo in San Jose and the Santa Ana Conservation Center are slated for closure. The zoos are to be converted in to urban parks where wildlife can roam freely. Some of these zoo animals are to be relocated to animal-rescue organizations and others are to be released to the wild. Unfortunately many of the rescue centres are already overcrowded after an influx of animals last December when a new law was passed making it illegal to keep wildlife as pets.

Costa_Rica_map_detail

Costa Rica Jungle — There are three small wild cat species found in Costa Rican forests.

I have put off writing this blog as I kept searching the internet hoping to find more details about the closure of these zoos and the fate of the animals. Unfortunately there does not seem to be many details about the relocation of the animals. I have not found a complete list of the animals housed at these zoos but there are reports that there are over 400 animals including a few large cats.The veterinarian from one of the zoos has expressed concerns about the suitability of most of the animals for release as many of the animals have health problems and lack natural instincts due to being raised in captivity.

There are many concerns should officials decide to release some of these animals. Reintroductions to the wild are frequently unsuccessful without taking the time to conduct proper planning, research and conditioning. A soft release where the animals are gradually returned to the wild while being monitored and fed would be preferred over a hard release where the animals are simply turned loose to fend for themselves. The success rate is much higher with captive animals in a reintroduction program that are raised from birth, receive little or no human contact and are exposed to simulated situations like those they will encounter in the wild. There is also the impact on the wild species and ecosystem already in place to consider.

7312375678_14146eab7a_z — Ocelot Leopardus pardalis

What is the current status of the wild populations of small wild cat species in the release areas and how will they be affected? Are the captive carnivores capable of hunting live prey? Will the released specimens become nuisance animals, preying on farmer’s livestock or getting in to garbage? Will these animals be monitored and if so, for how long? These are just a few of the questions that come to mind. While there are many who applaud this announcement, I have many concerns and will continue to monitor this story for updates.

2 Sep 2013

Saber the Clouded Leopard

by Peter Cromer | posted in: Cats in the wild | 0

Zoo animals are ambassadors for their cousins in the wild.
–Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

The newest member of the Columbus Zoo‘s ambassador is Saber, a four month old clouded leopard. He’s named for his teeth: clouded leopards have the largest teeth of any felid (relative to their body size).

He’ll eventually have the job of educating people about his species, and how to help protect these animals in the wild. For instance, a major cause of habitat lose for clouded leopards (among other animals) is palm oil production. Consumers can make smart choices, and buy products made with sustainable palm oil–there’s even an app for that.

For now, though, he’s happy just to show his fans his magnificent belly!

12 Aug 2013

10 Most Popular Pages on Our Site

by Peter Cromer | posted in: Cats in the wild | 3

We have a LOT of pages on this site! After all, we’re dealing with 28 small feline species on seven continents. Add in the blog posts and the amount of information available here is massive.

As we do on occasion, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 Most Visited Pages, which have changed a lot since the last time we looked. If your favorite cat is not on this list, spread the word and tell your friends to have a look at their fact sheet!

#10- Wild Cats Blog

#9 – Black-footed Cat Project

#8 – Oncilla Fact Sheet

#7 – Bobcat Fact Sheet

#6 – Ocelot Fact Sheet

#5 – Margay Fact Sheet

#4 – Black-footed Cat Fact Sheet

#3 – African Golden Cat Fact Sheet

#2 – Wild Cats

And the most popular page, by a large margin:

#1 – Canadian Cats

We would love to expand our coverage of Canadian cat species, so if there is anything you would to see on our site, please leave us a comment below!

1 Aug 2013

Inverted Ocelot

by Peter Cromer | posted in: Cats in the wild | 0

Ocelots are one of a few cat species who are adapted to descend head-first. This allows them to track prey (or threats) when maneuvering through the trees of South America.

23 Jul 2013

Endangered Animal Products To Be Banned From Etsy

by Peter Cromer | posted in: Endangered Cats | 0

Following a petition launched by the Snow Leopard Trust and signed by more than 33,000 people, the trend-setting online marketplace Etsy.com steps up for wildlife and explicitly bans listings containing parts of endangered animals from their site.

This 1950's Ocelot coat is one of many small wild cat items currently listed on Etsy. — This 1950’s Ocelot coat is one of many wild cat items currently listed on Etsy.

The Snow Leopard Trust is happy that the trend-setting marketplace for handmade and vintage goods Etsy.com has adopted new policies designed to stop the trade in products made with parts of endangered animals in their marketplace. These new policies, announced today on the Etsy News Blog, meet the demands of more than 33,000 wildlife supporters who had signed an online petition launched by the Snow Leopard Trust. “We’re very glad that Etsy is stepping up for wildlife”, says Brad Rutherford, the Snow Leopard Trust’s Executive Director. “It’s great to see the company live up to their billing as a mindful and humane business.”

Illegal Trade at an All-Time High

According to a report published in 2011 by Washington-based lobby group Global Financial Integrity, illegal wildlife trade has reached an all-time high of up to $10 billion total annual revenue; threatening to overturn decades of conservation gains. For endangered species to survive, this trade has to be stopped.

As they are vast and difficult to monitor, online marketplaces have long been abused as venues for endangered animal products to be sold. Conservation activists have successfully convinced leading platforms like eBay and Amazon to protect themselves and their communities from this illicit trade by explicitly banning any product made with parts of endangered animals – including “vintage items” – from their sites.

Source: www.snowleopard.org

15 Jul 2013

Celebrating Another Success for the Iberian Lynx Recovery Plan!

by Wanda Angermeyer | posted in: Cats in the wild, Cats of Europe, wild cat conservation | 0

A news article on June 27, 2013 from Portugal News Online reported that two Iberian Lynx born last year at the Silves Reproduction Centre in Portugal were recently released in to the Guarrizas Valley in Spain. Eleven of nineteen Iberian Lynx released into the wild so far this year were born at the Algarve-based CNRLI reproduction centre, in Silves. The cat’s first few days of freedom were monitored by radio and satellite.

So far this year 17 cubs have been born at the CNRLI centre in Silves, 15 of which are currently also being taught to live in the wild, in preparation for their release next year.

The Iberian, or Spanish, Lynx is currently the most endangered wild cat species in the world. The situation of the Iberian Lynx is so grave that it is the only felid species in which the costly and risky process of captive breeding and reintroduction is essential. The lynx is threatened by the collapse of its main prey, the European rabbit, whose population now numbers only about 5% of 1950 levels due mainly to the introduction of exotic diseases.

1 Jul 2013

Pallas’ Kittens

by Peter Cromer | posted in: Cats in the wild | 0

On March 27, there were three pallas’ cat kittens born to proud parents Sofiya and Buster. Pallas cats, otherwise known as manul, live in the mountains of central Asia.

They are about the size of a domestic cat, though much fluffier.

19 Jun 2013

Cougar Enrichment – Wild Style!

by Peter Cromer | posted in: Cats in the wild, Cats of Canada | 0

The Alberta Conservation Association is running an extensive Wolverine (Gulo gulo) research project in the Rocky Mountains. Sometimes their camera traps pick up unexpected wildlife action.

24 hours, 3 cougars, 4590 photos – all of this together creates one cool cougar video! Together with the Alberta Trappers Association, we do a lot of wolverine research that includes monitoring tree stands. Some cougars decided to take over one stand in particular with hopes of gaining a free meal. Click the box on the bottom right of the video to watch these determined cats in full screen!

To learn more about wolverines and the research ACA does with them, check out this article written by one of their biologists: http://bit.ly/11lVv4J.

15 Jun 2013

Pallas Cats and Toxoplasmosis

by Wanda Angermeyer | posted in: Cats of Asia, Zoo cats | 0

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a common protozoan parasite (Toxoplasma gondii) found world wide that poses health risks to both humans and wildlife. The only definitive host for the parasite are members of the Felidae family (primarily domestic cats). Healthy infected cats typically do not show any signs that they carry the disease. The parasite develops in the host and oocysts (eggs) are shed in the feces. The oocysts are very resistant and can persist in the environment for over 12 months. Intermediate hosts (rodents, birds, sheep, cattle, pigs) ingest the oocysts and cysts are formed in different areas of the intermediate host’s body. The life cycle of the parasite is completed when an infected intermediate host is ingested by a cat.

Humans are usually infected through contact with infected cat feces or through undercooked meat containing cysts. Toxoplasmosis can cause serious health problems in pregnant women and individuals with a compromised immune system. Healthy people usually are not aware they have been infected.

Clinical disease is more likely to occur in cats with suppressed immune systems, including young kittens and cats with feline leukemia virus (FELV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Most cats can recover with a treatment of antibiotics and anti-parasitic drugs. There is no vaccine available.

Unfortunately, wild Pallas Cats also seem to be extremely sensitive to toxoplasmosis, causing a high mortality rate in the kittens. Please watch this 2008 video from the Linder Centre for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) at the Cincinnati Zoo for more information. I was not able to find more current information on how much progress has been made researching and controlling this problem in Pallas Cats.

Yearly Archives: 2013