Conservation Research In The Field

Conservation, or field, research is the scientific study of a species' natural history. Where are the cats located? What kind of habitat do they use? What do they eat? What are their activity patterns and social organizations?

Population status surveys confirm the presence or absence of a species and estimate the density of the population. Repeated surveys on the same animals monitor their changing dynamics.

Without all these answers, it is impossible to design an effective conservation plan. Without knowing how large the population is, or their preferred habitat, suitable protected areas cannot be determined. Information is gathered with the use of radio telemetry equipment, camera traps, box traps, scat and track surveys, and interviews with local people.

Small Wild Cat Conservation Research

The small cats are extremely difficult to study in the wild, and not just because of their size. Compounded by their shy, elusive nature, most of the cats are nocturnal. Often they live in the densest rainforest, in very thick cover where they leave no tracks. Cats living in the wide ranging deserts pose other problems. One study of the Sand Cat in Israel found that these small cats cover their scat, the fur on the pads of their feet leaves little trace in the sand, and they close their eyes when a light is shone on them before turning around and melting into the dark.

The small tropical cats are currently perceived as having no economic value, and thus are of little value in their native countries. People destroy the cats, either deliberately or through habitat alteration and removal of prey species, because they are seen as being valueless.

For effective wild cat conservation, research must make cat populations more valuable to local residents and government authorities. Field studies identify areas where they may be found, and provide data on their ecology to bring in eco-tourists. Details on the small cats' prey species, usually agricultural pests and disease carriers, help convince rural people that these little cats are valuable allies. The first field study on the little kodkod in Chile discovered that local people thought the cats were vampires, due to the teeth marks on domestic poultry killed by the cats. When researchers showed people the small size of the cats, and explained they lived mainly on mice and rats, the local people became staunch defenders of the tiny cat.

Lately, more attention is beginning to focus on these small felines. Often they are included in studies evaluating total biomass of an area, or as part of a carnivore study.

For project details:

Black-footed Cat Project

Cats of the Argentine Espinal

African Golden Cat Camera Trap Study

Wild Cats of Brazil

To see which research projects ISEC Canada has supported in the past, see the About Us page, or click on the icon below to contribute to a field research program.