Flat-headed Cat sighting: Kinabatangan River

By Cameron de Jong

I’d like to share an observation of a Flat-headed Cat at Uncle Tan’s Wildlife Camp on the Kinabatangan River. I’m an ecologist and I’m aware these are poorly known animals so I’m hoping my observation and photos might be useful.

We were on a night walk with a guide at Uncle Tan’s and sighted the Flat-headed Cat (adult) at approx 10:35pm on 7 March 2024 in an ephemeral wetland adjacent to the river. There had been a flood about 3 weeks earlier so this wetland had water to maybe 20cm depth. I’m unsure of the dominant tree species in the wetland but it had distinct buttresses and should be easily identifiable to describe the vegetation community.

The cat was sitting in the buttress within about 10cm of the water, and had to have waded through water to reach this tree. We watched it for maybe 10 minutes before it slowly rose and moved off into the wetland beyond view of our torches. In this time it licked its paws and stretched, apparently not too fazed by us.

The wetland was thick with frogs including Rough-sided Frog (Pulchrana sp. I think – the largest and most terrestrial so probably the target prey item?) Cricket Frog (Amnirana nicobariensis), Harlequin Tree Frog (Rhacophorus pardalis) and several others. There were also Snake-headed Catfish (?) in the water as advised by the guides, and probably crustaceans etc as well. We also observed a Moon Rat actively foraging on the wetland edge, about 20m from the cat – the two were either unaware of each other or not engaging with each other.

About an hour after the sighting I came back this way and saw the cat again in the same area, I think hunting in the wetland, but it was further away and was identifiable by the bright green eyeshine and body shape only.

The guides were very excited and hadn’t seen this cat in a long time, but this may be a reliable place to see or study them given this animal was within the extent of the camp itself. It was only 10-12m from the boardwalk when we initially saw it.

 

 

 

Flat-headed Cat habitat
Sighting information and photos by Cameron de Jong  cameronwdejong<at>gmail.com

Margay Gymnastics

Margay Gymnastics from Phil Slosberg on Vimeo.

 

The Margay’s distribution range extends from central Mexico through Central and South America to Uruguay and northern Argentina.

Margays are the wizards of the tree tops, and are beautifully adapted to an arboreal habitat. One unique characteristic allows them to move and hunt more effectively in the trees. Their broad, soft feet and mobile toes allow them to hang from tree limbs by one hind foot, and flexible ankles can rotate the foot 180 degrees outward. They are exceedingly quick, and even during a fall they can grab hold of a branch with one front or hind paw and climb up again. Broad soft feet provide a good platform for jumping and an effective gripping surface for climbing.

Their exceptionally long, heavy tail aids in balancing while moving from tree to tree. In some areas, Margays hunt, sleep, and even have their young in trees. When they do descend, they walk slowly head first down the trunk, unlike most cats who rush down or descend hind feet first. Captive cats have been seen jumping nearly six metres straight in the air and nine metres horizontally.

Patagonian Cats Project

Why is this project relevant?
Geoffroy’s Cats L geoffroyi in northern Patagonia.
Photo by Fundacion Protejamos Patagonia

The transformation of natural habitats into cropland and ranch lands is one of the major threats to biodiversity globally. The colonization by Europeans of the Argentine Patagonia caused strong modifications of the natural steppes and grasslands of this vast territory. Settlers introduced sheep towards the end of the 18th century, and in 50 years an estimated 50 million of the animals grazed the natural vegetation causing habitat degradation and local processes of desertification. In addition to sheep, several wild mammals were also introduced.

Habitat loss, modification and changes in mammal community composition interacted with persecution to create an environment that was no longer suitable to several wild species.

We know that pumas (Puma concolor) and guanacos (Lama guanicoe) were eliminated from most of the Patagonian lowlands and that culpeo fox (Lycalopex culpaeus) populations were greatly reduced. These species have recolonized most of Patagonia in the last decades thanks to the reduction in sheep stock. This was caused by a sharp decrease in the price of wool and in productivity, because habitat degradation caused by the grazing sheep provoked desertification. However, we have absolutely no idea of the effects these processes had on the population of small wild cats. We do not know their population size or the threats to their conservation.

The distribution range of two species of small wild felids extends to the southern latitudes of the Patagonian lowlands: the Geoffroy’s cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) and Pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo pajeros). With a size of 673,000 sq km, the Patagonian steppe ecoregion in Argentina represents a large portion of the distribution range of both the Pampas cat and Geoffroy’s cat.

The Pampas cat has been very poorly studied, but it is considered rare throughout most of its distribution range and close to extinction in the Pampas grasslands of Argentina. Because of this rarity and the loss of natural habitats that is affecting many of the regions where it occurs, the Pampas cat is listed as Near Threatened globally and Vulnerable in Argentina. However, this categorization is based on the assumption that the Pampas cat is a single species, while the most recent and comprehensive reviews of its taxonomy strongly suggest that it should be divided into 5 species. If we accept this new taxonomy, the Pampas cat populations inhabiting the Patagonia would belong to species L. pajeros and its conservation status would require urgent assessments, also because this species is currently receiving little conservation attention in Argentina (Lucherini et al. 2018).

In comparison to the Pampas cat, the Geoffroy’s cat has been more studied and is considered relatively common across most of its distribution range, which led to its categorization as Least Concern both globally (Pereira et al. 2015) and nationally. Nevertheless, the scant evidence we have indicates that the Geoffroy’s cat may be rare and even absent from portions of the Patagonian steppe.

In summary, the information on the presence of these wild cats in the steppe habitats that occupy the lowlands of Patagonia is still extremely scarce and nothing is known about their population abundances. This lack of knowledge would not necessarily be a reason for concern if it was not for the understanding that sheep ranching has caused extensive modification to natural habitats and to the native wildlife of Patagonia. There is also clear evidence that there are intense and deeply-rooted conflicts between carnivores and ranchers in this region and that ranchers frequently kill small cats because they perceive them as predators of lambs and chicken.

The Patagonia Cats Project (PCP) aims to fill this gap and improve our understanding of the natural history and conservation threats of the Pampas and Geoffroy’s cat populations in the Patagonian steppe. However, we also plan to start actions to reduce threats as soon as they are identified by working locally with different social actors.

How can we do it?

The Patagonian steppe is a very large territory; thus, I am actively promoting collaboration with other researchers, governmental agents, and conservation practitioners. I have already created a network that will share information on cat presence but also awareness material, to amplify the reach of my project and facilitate achieving its goals.

Information on cat distribution and abundance will be obtained by camera trap surveys. Cameras will be displayed in a set of sites representative of the diversity of habitats of this region, both in protected areas and private ranches. To understand conservation threats, we will interview local people, especially ranchers. In person interviews are very effective at learning the human dimension of conservation problems, such as the conflicts between carnivores and local people related to predation on livestock and to collect information for species that are rare or difficult to detect.

As soon as we have a better idea of those threats, we will design and implement tools to address them in specific forms. Meanwhile, we will carry out awareness activities with adults on the ecological role of these species (with emphasis on the control of rodent populations), and provide information on how to easily build predator-proof chicken coops. Simultaneously, we will conduct environmental education activities in rural schools to create pride among children of having these beautiful species in their country.

By Mauro Lucherini

December 2022

 

Citizen Bobcats: New Residents in Calgary

By Sara Jordan-McLachlan 2021

Abstract

As human populations continue to grow and move into city centers globally, historic wildlife habitat is being brought into the urban matrix. Increasingly, cities are acknowledging that biodiversity is important for supporting ecological resilience and the well being of citizens. There is a need to understand how species navigate the human-dominated landscape in the face of continuous global change. In Alberta, bobcats (Lynx rufus) are suspected to be expanding their historic range to inhabit new areas including the City of Calgary. Using citizen observations reported to the City and remote camera data, my research sought to understand where bobcats are being seen in the city, how those observations have changed over time and how they relate to an ecological network delineated to support wildlife movement. A total of 4599 bobcat observations to the City of Calgary from May 1, 2005 to July 31, 2020 were included in analysis. Results show a clear increase in bobcat observations over time with a corresponding increase in area covered. Bobcat observations were in or near the ecological network. My study highlights: the importance of green spaces to support biodiversity; the benefits of Calgary’s ecological network in supporting animal movement; and provides information to increase ecological literacy. Continued studies of urban wildlife including bobcats will provide guidance for the City of Calgary to achieve the goals in their Biodiversity Strategic Plan and Municipal Development Plan, ensuring support for non-human wildlife by prioritizing expansion and conservation of high-quality habitat and habitat connectivity.

 

Citizen Bobcats: Getting to Know the New Residents in Calgary

Full paper 62 pages, 5.59 MB

Only hope for the Scottish Wildcat

posted in: Cats in the wild | 0

Scottish wildcat kittenWritten by Wildcat Haven

We wanted to update you on the current status of Scottish wildcat conservation work in Scotland. We warn you in advance that some of what follows will be uncomfortable and some of the links upsetting to read. Wildcat Haven as a project has existed for over ten years and as you can see, our impact and scope of work continues to grow. 5 years ago the government launched a scheme called Scottish Wildcat Action which was back by over £2 million of taxpayer and lottery money. At first, we were optimistic and indeed members of our team were asked to be involved. However it quickly became clear that the plan was badly flawed and simply would not work. Our team members withdrew based on concerns over deliverability and animal welfare. A number of other key organisations also left, leaving the government action plan’s major partners being the Forestry Commission Scotland (currently logging the Clashindarroch) and Edinburgh zoo/ RZSS.

The decision by our team members to leave was the right one and the government’s action plan was soon exposed in the international and national media for chronic animal welfare issues and plans to capture the last wildcats from the wild for zoos. The contents of the following link are both hard to read and believe. They had developed protocols for blowing the heads off feral cats with shotguns whilst they were in a cage trap. You will be able to see the documents for yourselves.

https://theecologist.org/…/scotlands-secret-cat-slaughter-r…

As Scottish Wildcat Action’s major partner was Edinburgh zoo, of course there has always been an overwhelming agenda to capture the last wildcat for zoos. We have always doubted the effectiveness of any captive breeding and release programme for wildcats as the scientific literature shows that it simply doesn’t work. An IUCN publication reported up to 80% mortality of released wildcats in the first year. That is not a successful strategy. We also had concerns about the purity and management of cats in the current captive breeding programme. We obtained studbook data that showed that over a 4 year period, 21 kittens were born at Edinburgh zoo and its’ sister zoo, the Highland wildlife park. Of those 21 kittens, 14 were neutered, 5 were dead and 2 were unknown. In short the zoos were knowingly breeding hybrids. Cute kittens sell zoo tickets. What is worse is that the before being neutered, the kittens were publicised widely in the media as the ‘saviour of the species’ by the zoos. However after the summer season they were neutered and some even sent out of Scotland ending up in backyard private animal collections. In our honest opinion this is simply animal exploitation. This was all exposed in the Sunday Times, a major UK newspaper (see link below). There were no retractions.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/…/rare-wildcats-neutered-by-keep…

Scottish Wildcat Action have also apparently been working in the Clashindarroch for the last 5 years. However not once have they ever raised concerns about logging by the Forestry Commission Scotland. However this is not surprising given that their other major partner is indeed the Forestry Commission Scotland. In fact when we started to voice concerns and launch this petition, Scottish Wildcat Action published documents and social media reports claiming that logging was in fact good for wildcats. You simply couldn’t make it up, but it is all true. We investigated further and obtained emails from the government showing evidence that in their words, the government’s wildcat action plan was being used as a deflection for the Forestry commission logging operations. This is an appalling betrayal of the wildcat. One government organisation covering up for the other and all at the expense of the wildcat.

However, now thankfully the Scottish Wildcat Action plan has ended. They recently reported that their staff are ‘Moving onto other projects and other staff and partners are working on reports’. That is political ‘greenwash’ for saying that the Government wildcat action plan is dead.

To summarise, £ 2 million of taxpayers/lottery funding has been spent on a plan that has yielded little to no tangible conservation benefits that we can see to the wildcat. Indeed it has been exposed for chronic animal welfare issues and was ultimately used by the government to deflect attention/facilitate what we believe to be illegal logging by a government agency. The wildcat has been betrayed on every level by the government action plan, that the public were led to believe was there to save it. All those involved should be thoroughly ashamed. The scary thing is, is that if we hadn’t had been able to expose this, the public would still be under that illusion. They are not anymore.

So where does that leave Scottish wildcat Conservation. In short Wildcat Haven is now the only organisation working to save the wildcat in the wild. We are the only organisation who has been brave enough to challenge the government over the logging of the wildcat’s last stronghold. Our integrity is more important than getting a government grant. The great thing now is that there is no government wildcat action plan for the Forestry commission Scotland, to hide behind and they are now under investigation by the Bern Convention and hopefully soon the Police. Those who have betrayed the wildcat and profited from pushing it further towards extinction, should be and will be held to account.

We are more determined than ever to bring the amazing, beautiful, magnificent, proud, tenacious and resilient wildcat back from the brink of extinction and to expand it’s range and population. We know that we can do this but only with your help. For the very obvious reasons explained above we get no government funding so rely entirely on donations. If you can find it in your heart to help us then please do:

To donate £3, text WILDCAT to 70331

To donate £5, text WILDCAT to 70970

To donate £10, text WILDCAT to 70191

To donate £20, text CAT20 to 70191

The donation will come directly out of your phone bill so there is no need to enter any bank details.

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTERS- VERY IMPORTANT. For our many international supporters, the UK text system won’t work but you can donate through the weblink for our campaign at:

http://easydonate.org/WILDCAT

Fundraising, payments and donations will be processed and administered by the National Funding Scheme (Charity No: 1149800), operating as DONATE. Texts will be charged at your standard network rate.

We hope you are all keeping safe. More updates will follow so keep watching. To find out more visit

www.wildcathaven.com

Wildcat Haven Facebook

NEW Black-footed Cat Study

The Black-footed Cat Working Group’s (BFCWG) aim is to conserve the rare Black-footed Cats (abbreviated as BFC hereafter) by promoting awareness and conducting research on their biology. So far the group has concentrated on two study areas in central South Africa. It became apparent that to become a truly international project, research and conservation on the species needed to extend to neighbouring countries and other habitats. For this reason the three authors of this report undertook a survey in January 2019 in southern Namibia.

There have never been any BFC studies in Namibia. Once a promising conservation area, farm and region are found, the aim is to start an intensive study. Location records reported by farmers over the last 5 years have been invaluable in establishing distribution in Namibia and potential areas for future studies.

black-footed cat
Sighting of a juvenile BFC ‘hiding’ in a shallow pit in the gravel. Godwana Canyon Park. © Alex Sliwa

Valuable BFC census data in Namibia was collected on this first scouting trip. With a total of four different individual BFCs sighted, one in Gondwana Canyon Park and three over only two nights on the Grünau S.W. farm, the latter was identified as the most promising site for establishing an intensive study area. Altogether the sighting frequency of four cats over eight nights surveyed provides a 50% chance of a sighting. When taking Grünau S.W. by itself a sighting of 1 and 2 cats each per night, this reached a 150% chance of BFC sighting per night. This sighting frequency is comparable or greater than those attained over the past 10 years in the two long-term study areas of South Africa.

Interestingly the sighting of a juvenile in the Canyon Park is proof of a breeding population in this protected area. Being only 44km away from sightings on the Grünau S.W. farm, it shows that these are well within reach of a dispersing young adult BFC from the Canyon or even an adult male with an extensive home range.

It will be interesting to study individuals of both populations and see where they link or if it’s a continuous population. Compared to the two South African study sites with averages of 450 and 300 mm precipitation annually, Grünau S.W. receives only 125 mm annually, so it is expected that BFC home ranges and ranging behaviour will be more extensive than previously published.

black-footed cat
Young male sighted in Grunau. Photo  © Alex Sliwa

It will also be interesting to capture and radio-collar some of the numerous African wildcats (Felis lybica cafra) in the area to see how the two small cat species interact, compete or separate in their ecology.

Researchers will need permits for capturing and collaring BFCs in Southern Namibia, and funding for telemetry equipment, and tuition for a student who will do the monitoring. They will also need to hire a Namibian veterinarian for the anaesthesia capture operation. Southern Namibia is much drier and a true desert, so conditions are different for the cats compared to South Africa.

The Black-footed Cat will be included in the Red List Assessment of Carnivores in Namibia, and the species listed as Protected or Specially Projected under the new Protected Areas and Wildlife Management Act. This will enable better conservation action and more focused research.

Report on Black-footed cats (Felis nigripes) survey in southern Namibia. Alexander Sliwa, Martina Küsters & Morgan Hauptfleisch

 

You can help these tiny cats! 100% of donations will go directly to the Black-footed Cat project.

Donate Now Through CanadaHelps.org!

 

 

New Wild Cat Conservation Foundation

posted in: Cats in the wild | 1

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc, a global leader in veterinary diagnostics and software, today announced that its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Ayers, and his wife, Helaine, have established a foundation that will support conservation of the estimated 40 species of felids in the wild. The Ayers Wild Cat Conservation Trust is endowed by a gift of IDEXX stock from the Ayers family. The foundation will focus on supporting the funding of global wild cat species conservation initiatives and organizations.

black-footed cat“We lionize cats such as jaguars, leopards, and cheetahs in popular culture—and yet felid species in the wild are threatened with declining populations and, in time, extinction. We need to do more to preserve their populations in their natural habitat,” said Ayers. “Helaine and I believe in the importance of dedicated species conservation efforts, and we hope that our foundation will help to support the vitality of wild cats, their natural habitats, and the professionals dedicated to them in a meaningful way for years to come.”

While the foundation’s purpose is to support conservation initiatives for all species of wild cats, a specific focus will be on the 33 species of small cats, which currently receive only a small fraction of all wild cat conservation funding. Many of these felid species are endangered or vulnerable with declining populations, and include the clouded leopard, the black-footed cat, the sand cat, and the fishing cat. The first foundation grants are expected to be made this year.

 

Flat-headed cat and kitten

posted in: wild cat conservation | 3

Our website can bring some wondrous surprises. In mid October, we received a comment on our flat-headed Cat fact sheet. The commenter said they had captured two flat-headed cats on film in Tanjung Puting National Park in Borneo. Would we be interested?

We immediately answered with a resounding yes, and Amy Alton of OutChasingStars.com sent us this amazing footage. To our knowledge, this is the first time a flat-headed cat kitten has ever been filmed.The video was taken in October 2018.

They were on an orangutan tour and their guide took them to a local villager who drove them along a dirt road. He spotted these two animals by the reflection of their eyes, and identified them as civet cats.

Flat-headed cats are one of the least-known cat species in the world, both to the scientific community and local people who live near them. Hopefully this video will help with future conservation efforts. Thank you Amy, for your generosity in sharing your footage!

 

 

flat-headed cat

 

 

 

Read more about these little known cats on our flat-headed cat fact sheet.

Close encounter with a wild cat from the Sundarbans

By Saurabh Chakraborty

At the verge of dawn, when there was hardly any light, the world’s largest mangrove, the Sundarbans where still many mysteries and folklore prevail, blessed me with the sighting of a huge Jungle Cat.

After the sighting of the Royal Bengal Tiger, the glimpse of a Jungle Cat from Sundarbans was always there in my wish-list and finally it happened.

When we spotted this wild cat in the midst of the tiger palm trees(Hental Bon, in local language), it was starring at the rising Sun, as if it was hypnotized by the Sun’s mighty aura and compared its own strength with it.

After few moments, it realized my presence and starred at me in a very innocent manner, as if it was expecting me and I  photographed it to my heart’s content .

Few moments later it went back, gifting me a handful of memories and fulfilling my long desire.

jungle cat
The Wild Stare

 

jungle cat
The Innocent Stare

Two Ways You Can Help Andean Cats

The most endangered cat in The Americas needs your help. Researchers of the Andean Cat Alliance are going all out to learn as much as they can about this beautiful little cat before it’s too late. The entire population of the Andean Cat throughout their range is estimated to be around 1,300 cats. Conservation measures are urgently needed, and you can help.

 

#1 Spreading The Word

The biggest, most reversible problem facing the Andean cat is one that this campaign seeks to reverse: no one knows this species exists and is fighting for survival.

Because most people have never heard of Andean cats, very little support from the wildlife conservation community is available to help these cats face human-caused challenges that are driving them closer to extinction: climate change, habitat ravaging mining, vicious feral dogs, and myths held by locals who, in turn, kill these cats with trained hunting dogs.

Despite only catching a glimpse of this cat once in the wild (and being one of less than 10 people to ever do so), researcher and conservationist Rodrigo Villalobos has made it his life’s work to conserve these elusive creatures. Through hiking thousands of miles through the Andes Mountains over the span of 12 years and setting a network of camera traps, Rodrigo and his research partner Cristian have discovered one of the rarest populations of Andean cats.

The Power of Wildlife Documentaries

Wildlife documentaries raise awareness about important wildlife issues through high quality imagery. Just think about African wildlife that are relatively easy to see and film — lions, elephants, and rhinos. Most people have never stepped foot in the African savannah yet, through documentary films, we feel like we’ve looked inside their private lives and have a strong understanding of the huge conservation battles these creatures are facing. But what happens with wildlife that is very difficult to film because they are very secretive, rare, and live in extremely harsh terrains? Unfortunately for the Andean cat, this is the problem their species is facing. Now, for the first time in Andean cat conservation history, our team has found a reliable location to film this cat. This is where you come in for the Andean cat: we need you to improve the quality of our footage by 4K professional, high definition cameras. With high quality footage we have an extremely high chance of getting word about Andean cats out to people around the world through syndicated and huge media networks.

Through funding assistance of 501(3)c nonprofit, Friends of Fauna, you can make any size contribution right now and be one of the people to purchase the actual equipment that will be used to film, by camera person, the Andean cat in high definition for the very first time. Can you imagine being able to say you funded the very first camera to film the African elephant or Bengal tiger and introduce these species, through the power of social media, to the world? This is the exact opportunity you have to do with an animal even rarer than elephants or tigers — the Andean cat.

Visit their Indigogo page to help researchers publicize the plight of these cats.

Canadian donors use this link

 

#2 Double Your Support to Purchase Camera Traps

The Andean cat is one of the most enigmatic creatures of Earth, and conservationists have been struggling for years to design effective conservation actions for a species that has been considered the ghost of the Andes. Reality proves that we need to be able to find key areas where the cat is, to make the most relevant decisions that will ensure its long term conservation.

You can make this happen, your support is critical to find hotspots for conservation.

An anonymous donor provided matching funds to buy equipment for making a big scale camera trapping effort in key areas, for long term conservation of Andean cats and a whole landscape. With the acceleration of global warming and the knowledge that Andes and Patagonia will be highly impacted by this phenomenon, it is URGENT to find these sites, and you can make a difference!

Your gift will be matched completely, so you will double your impact immediately, but you need to hurry, this offer ends the first week of January, so PLEASE, donate NOW!

If you give:
USD $40 we can buy batteries and memory cards for one camera
USD $80 you support food and lodging fo one field person
USD $180 you buy a regular camera trap
USD $450 you gift an HD camera trap
USD $2500 you cover a field campaign to review cameras for a whole team!

Every amount helps and will be immediately matched!

Donate now through The Wildlife Conservation Network