Update to the Conservation Status of Wild Cats

posted in: Cats in the wild | 2

The conservation status of the smaller 28 wild cat species varies widely. Earlier this month the IUCN revised their Red Data List, so an update to our Status of Wild Cats chart was in order. There were a few surprises.

geoffroys

Geoffroy’s Cat – This cat is widespread and abundant throughout its range, in all habitats. Its distribution range is continuous, meaning there are no isolated populations. Perhaps the most important factor in their new listing as Least Concern is the fact that these cats have adapted to the conversion of sub-tropical forest into croplands, and seem to be fairly tolerant of habitat alteration. Much like the Bobcat in North America, these cats appear to be adaptable to new situations, and their population is now considered Stable.

Iberian Lynx –  This beautiful cat has actually been down-listed. Previously classed as Critically Endangered, they are now classed as Endangered, with an increasing population. Of the 37 wild cat species, this is the only one whose population is increasing, due to the enormous efforts of the people involved in their breeding and reintroduction. They are a perfect example of humans saving a species if the will and the effort is there.

Sand Cat – In 1996, these small cats were classed as Least Concern. In 2008, and again in 2015, they were classed as Near Threatened. In each of the classification years however, their population trend was and is listed as Unknown. In this day of camera traps and wildlife cameras, no one actually has any idea how many sand cats there are. Are they endangered? Are they common?

Sand Cats are native to Algeria; Egypt; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Israel; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kuwait; Mauritania; Morocco; Niger; Oman; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Syrian Arab Republic; Turkmenistan; United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; Western Sahara; Yemen. The geopolitical situation in many of these countries explains the serious lack of field studies on these cats.

It is very difficult to find good news in the conservation world, so we’ll close with a list of the ten NON-endangered small wild cats:

  • Bobcat – Least Concern, Population Stable
  • Canada Lynx – Least Concern, Population Stable
  • Eurasian Lynx – Least Concern, Population Stable
  • Leopard Cat – Least Concern, Population Stable
  • Serval – Least Concern, Population Stable
  • Jaguarundi – Least Concern, Population Decreasing
  • Jungle Cat – Least Concern, Population Decreasing
  • Ocelot – Least Concern, Population Decreasing
  • Wildcat – Least Concern, Population Decreasing
  • Caracal – Least Concern, Population Unknown

You can read the complete wild cat list on our Status of Wild Cats page.

 

In Search of the Wild Cats of the high Andes

Text and photos by Sebastian Kennerknecht

Andean Cat biologist Juan Reppucci climbs up a ridge near Mount Grenada, northerwestern Argentina.
Andean Cat biologist Juan Reppucci climbs up a ridge near Mount Grenada, northerwestern Argentina.

An Andean Cat slowly walks along a ridge in the high Andes. A camera’s shutter clicks. The cat pauses to see where the noise is coming from. The camera takes a few more pictures. Curious, the feline approaches and cheek rubs the waterproof case surrounding the camera. I wake up.

That’s the dream I had while sleeping in a tent in western Bolivia while working on the Cat in Thin Air project. My name is Sebastian Kennerknecht and for years I have dreamed of photographing the Andean Cat to then use those pictures to aid in their conservation. To make this a reality I teamed up with the amazing biologists of the Andean Cat Alliance and created the Cat in Thin Air project.

The goal of the project is simple: help ensure the survival of the Andean Mountain Cat through education on a local and global scale. The method was also simple at least in concept: photograph the ecology of the cat, the human caused threats the cats face, as well as the conservation actions being taken to protect this animal, to then tell the Andean Cat’s whole story to be shared with the world.

So it was time to head to Bolivia and Argentina to meet up with the researchers who have been studying the species for years.

Cintia Tellaeche and Juan Reppucci loading truck with gear. Do you think we brought enough?
Cintia Tellaeche and Juan Reppucci loading truck with gear. Do you think we brought enough?
The research truck leans heavily around a corner as it climbs higher into the Andes.
The research truck leans heavily around a corner as it climbs higher into the Andes.
Timely tightening of all the nuts by biologist Juan Reppucci was appreciated by all!
Timely tightening of all the nuts by biologist Juan Reppucci was appreciated by all!

Once we arrived at the study site the beauty of the area became more than obvious.

Rock formations in the high Andes, Jujuy Province, northwestern Argentina.
Rock formations in the high Andes, Jujuy Province, northwestern Argentina.

So how do you photograph a cat species that most researchers studying the species have never even seen themselves? The answer is simple: SLR camera traps. Imagine a professional camera connected to two flashes all of which are connected to a triggering device that activates the camera when an animal passes through an invisible beam.

One of the camera traps in the Altiplano of Bolivia.
One of the camera traps in the Altiplano of Bolivia.

All of the biologists, including Juan Reppucci, Cintia Tellaeche, Mauro Lucherini, Alejandra Torrez, and Juan Carlos Huaranca, being the amazing people that they are put their research projects on hold and helped me not only set up these camera traps but also schlep them up the mountain.

Andean Cat biologist Cintia Tellaeche taking a breather. At over 13,000 feet every step is hard work.
Andean Cat biologist Cintia Tellaeche taking a breather. At over 13,000 feet every step is hard work.

We placed four of these camera trap set-ups to try and get pictures of these elusive cats. After that it was time to be patient and focus on the other photographs (like the threats and the biologist’s research — – but sadly if I write about that here, this post will simply get too long). After five weeks we collected all the traps and checked the results of the cameras.

weird animal that decided he needed to check the camera trap was working properly (yes, that’s me).
A weird animal that decided he needed to check the camera trap was working properly (yes, that’s me).
Culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) fox, Ciudad de Pedra, western Bolivia
Culpeo fox (Lycalopex culpaeus), Ciudad de Pedra, western Bolivia
Molina’s Hog-Nosed Skunk (Conepatus chinga), Ciudad de Pedra, western Bolivia
Molina’s Hog-Nosed Skunk (Conepatus chinga), Ciudad de Pedra, western Bolivia

Whenever I go on assignment to try and photograph a wild cat species (in the wild!) that hasn’t been photographed a whole lot, looking through the camera trap images is both nerve racking and extremely exciting. Getting pictures of a fox and a skunk was of course more than great, but it wasn’t the goal of the project. When I saw a picture of an Andean Cat on the back of the camera, all my fears went right away (due to multiple reasons we can’t publish this image yet); and that image was followed by the discovery of a Pampas Cat.

Pampas Cat (Leopardus colocolo), Ciudad de Pedra, western Bolivia
Pampas Cat (Leopardus colocolo), Ciudad de Pedra, western Bolivia

All our efforts were rewarded by this single picture. This will hopefully be the first of many pictures of the cat species found in the Andes. Only time will tell as I will return to South America next year. If you’d like to find out more about the Cat in Thin Air Project, please visit: http://catinthinair.org/ . Finally, I’d like to also make sure Lilian Villaba is acknowledged for all the work she put into making this project a reality!

We’ve given away all our money – again!

posted in: Cats in the wild | 0

February is our year end, and thus our favorite month here at ISEC Canada. This is the month when we get to give all our money to the small wild cats.

Kubu1

We are overjoyed to have sent $20,500 CAD to the Black-footed Cat Working Group, as a result of our fall campaign to raise funds to replace their old truck. Studying these tiny desert dwellers requires thousands of hours of driving through some pretty rough areas. Now, due to of the generosity of our donors, scientists can continue learning how to help these cats.

In addition, we sent $26,500 CAD in allocated donations to the Small Cat Action Fund of Panthera. They will equally match these funds, resulting in even more field work grants to small wild cat researchers.

What this means, of course, is that we need to start collecting money again. If you’re in the mood to donate to small wild cat conservation, please see the Donate Now button on the right! 😉

Summit Municipal Park Wildlife Refuge, Panama

The Summit Municipal Park is a wildlife refuge found inside Soberania National Park in Panama. It was originally founded in 1923 as an experimental botanical garden owned by the United States. Starting in the 1960s, animals started to arrive at the park from the authorities, people who owned them as illegal pets, and people who found them hurt or disturbed from habitat destruction.

All of the animals in the park are rescue animals. In the last four years, this refuge has received 850 animals and was able to successfully release 815 animals back into the wild. All of the animals that could not be released are given the best possible care at the refuge by some truly incredible people. The caretakers at the refuge volunteer their time 7 days a week (without any pay) just to ensure the animals receive the best care possible. One of the caretakers and board members, Elena, explained that while they do not receive any monetary pay, they are rewarded with the personal growth that comes from helping save these incredible animals.

Eduardo Estrada is a wildlife photographer in Panama, specializing mainly in closeups with cats rescued and housed at the refuge. “In my very specific case I have been a professional photographer for over 10 years with about three years dedicated to wildlife in general, but mainly focused on rescue cases we receive, products of seizures made ​​by the authorities from traffickers of wildlife or abuse cases , car accidents, etc.”

Eduardo says “felines stole my heart and get my greatest attention. I have worked with Jaguars, Pumas, Margay, Ocelot and Yaguarundi. I try to find approaches in my photographs, hoping that those who see the pictures get a glimpse at their souls.”

“The model in the picture is Cash, brother of Tango who are two Pumas rescued in Bocas del Toro (Panama) born a week before becoming trafficked wildlife. It is presumed that the mother was killed so the traffickers could catch them. Now they are living in the Summit Municipal Park, condemned to a life in captivity by the action of the traffickers. Elena Castejón, feline expert and Secretary of the Board of Summit Park, and Lynn Hawksworth feline expert and member of the Board of Summit Park have been his caregivers and and I am of course your photographer. I think this is a sad privilege to me.”

Panama puma Cash

Zookeeper travels the world to work with small wild cats

posted in: Endangered Cats, Zoo cats | 1

We are happy to welcome to a new blog writer for the small cats. This determined man has an amazing life working with small wild cats around the world, and he’ll be sharing his adventures with us on a regular basis.

clouded leopardHello to all my fellow Felid lovers reading this blog My name is Ricky and I am a Zoologist & Zoo Keeper from London, UK.

I have had a huge passion for wild cats from a very young age and have been privileged to have been working alongside them and many other animals in Zoological collections for the past 10 years through work experience, voluntary, seasonal and now permanent work.

My specialism is cats both big and small, but it’s the smaller, lesser known species that really get me excited. Theres so much to find out about them!!

My goal is to become a captive cat specialist one day, and part of that goal is my wish to spend time working with/observing captive individuals of as many cat species as possible. This means that I do a lot of travelling far and wide to see and spend time with some amazing species which unfortunately not much is known about.

The way that I am able to go on these trips is because I save up what I earn at work… I’m a very determined person and when I hear of a species at a collection I put myself in contact with that collection and go from there.

I have been very lucky (and persistent) and have been able so far to have spent some amount of time working with 31 out of the 37 known wild cat species and have been invited to various collections across the world to spend time with 3 more!

I am going to be telling you about a few of my recent trips across the world to spend time with rare small cats in future blog posts.

I hope you enjoy,

Ricky Reino

clouded leoprd

#helpBFC – Updates from the field

We’ve just received an update from Beryl Wilson, Project Manager of the BFCWG – they’ve captured the first black-footed cat of the trip! 

Researchers are currently in the field in South Africa changing radio-collars and searching for uncollared cats. The information from these tiny collars gives researchers huge amounts of data on the daily lives of the black-footed cats.

Hundreds of kilograms of equipment, a 2 ton truck and 7 people and all for several tiny 1-2 kg cats! From a cold and rainy De Aar study site!

black-footed cat

The team tracking Stan on foot in a Karoo landscape.  He was successfully captured and his tracking collar replaced.

Image4

Group photo after catching the first cat of the trip.  Stan was collared for the first time in Nov 2013.  Following heavy rains over the past few days, he was resting above ground.  After a short chase on foot in the late afternoon, he was recovered from a shallow den and his collar replaced.  

black-footed cat

Dr. Alex Sliwa fitting Stan’s new collar. 

black-footed cat

This is your chance to help us make a difference for these smallest of wild cats, and we ask for your support. Even if you’re not in a position to make a donation, please help us spread the word. Tell your friends, tell your family, share it on your social media, shout it from the rooftops, hire a skywriter… OK maybe not the last one, but you get the idea. Pass it on, and encourage your friends to do the same!

Please share this campaign and let everyone know you stand as a voice for the smallest of wild cats. Together, we CAN make a difference!

Help  Save Africa’s Smallest Wild Cat 

#helpBFC – a big campaign for a small cat

In the harsh desert environment of South Africa lives a very tiny wild cat. Adult male black-footed cats weigh less than five pounds, or 2.5 kg, making them one of the smallest wild cat species in the world. Theirs is a world of arid climate, temperature extremes, vast hunting areas and constant danger from larger carnivores.

black-footed cat in the wild

Black-footed cats are no bigger than your house cat, and probably smaller in most cases. They are only found in three countries: Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.

An incredibly tenacious little cat, the natives have a legend claiming these tiny cats can bring down a giraffe. While this is untrue, it pays homage to the determination of these feisty little felines.

Researchers often record interactions between black-footed cats and other animals in their habitat. Their attitude proves that while they may be small, they don’t let their size stop them!

“The male Kubu was located resting in a hollow termite mound. When he became active, he sprayed several times, then caught a gerbil. He continued to forage and as a group of bat-eared foxes three times the size of the cat approached, Kubu sat and watched them. When one of the foxes came too close, Kubu slapped him and just walked on.”

Or how about this determined kitty:

“I was following one of the black-footed cats when I drove past a blue crane nest I had been checking the past week. This time when I shone my spotlight on the big birds, I noticed the bright blue eyes of the male black-footed cat next to the nest. I watched as he sniffed the nesting female’s head and neck, then tried to push underneath her to get to the chicks in the nest.”

black-footed cat hunting
Their Population is Decreasing

In addition to natural threats like black-backed jackals, caracals and eagle owls, these cats are increasingly being challenged by human changes to their habitat.

The average black-footed cat eats about 3,000 rodents each year. This should earn them the title of Farmer’s Friend, but they face many man-made threats:

-Poisoning of carcasses to kill larger carnivores, which the black-footed cats scavenge
-Overgrazing by livestock, which reduces their prey base
-Poisoning of locusts, which are eaten by the cats in huge numbers
-Killing by domestic dogs, which are used to chase or dig out jackals

With their population rapidly declining, this field project is vitally important so we can learn how to reverse this trend.

Why We Need You

To study these nocturnal little felines, first you have to find them at night, in the vast desert. Team members drive a nightly route of up to 50 miles (80 km) along dirt roads at a speed under 18 mph (30 km) per hour while looking for the characteristic bright blue eye-shine of the cats. A minimum of two people stand on the open back of the vehicle operating two spotlights.

The project’s old 4×4 truck is on it’s last tires. With nearly 400,000 km of looking for black-footed cats on the odometer, it is spending more time in the costly repair shop than on the road.

When this truck stops working, the project stops learning about the cats. A new vehicle would cost more than $40,000 US but with your help, we can keep the cats under focus for half that price!

20141028091358-old_truck

This is your chance to help us make a difference for these smallest of wild cats, and we ask for your support. Even if you’re not in a position to make a donation, please help us spread the word. Tell your friends, tell your family, share it on your social media, shout it from the rooftops, hire a skywriter… OK maybe not the last one, but you get the idea. Pass it on, and encourage your friends to do the same!

Please share this campaign wherever you can, and let everyone know you stand as a voice for the smallest of wild cats. Together, we CAN make a difference!

Help  Save Africa’s Smallest Wild Cat 

 

Puma of Patagonia Video

The Cougar or Mountain Lion of North America is known as Puma in South America. The range of this big cat extends from The Yukon in Canada down to the tip of the Americas, and their appearance varies from the north to the south. This is an amazing video of the most southerly cats!

In April of 2014, Thomas D. Mangelsen traveled to Patagonia to photograph wild pumas. Join him on this “Wild Encounter” with the greatest cat of the Americas!