zoocentral
Well-Known Member
By 2019, the black-footed cat Felis nigripes population had grown by approximately 30%, but this was only 56% of the target population size. At that time, the Felid Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) identified the need for more institutions to join programs for small cat species to support their continued growth and sustainability. Anticipating this need, the TAG and Black-footed Cat Species Survival Plan (SSP) predicted that additional breeding centers would be necessary—such as The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens’ breeding center for sand cats and black-footed cats, or the Birmingham Zoo’s former plan to create an off-exhibit breeding and holding facility for up to four pairs of black-footed cats.
By June 2019, there were forty-three black-footed cats at eighteen AZA institutions. An addition two individuals were held at two non-AZA facilities. Despite this, spaces for black-footed cats were decreasing by 30%. Nevertheless, a strategic planning team predicted that the black-footed cat population had the highest potential for successful growth and sustainability within the AZA. Goals were established to import new, genetically unique lines by 2021 into the population. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services had approved a five-year import permit for the importation of semen collected from wild males. These semen imports had been planned for the end of 2017, with initial collections begining the year prior.
The population was also supported by a robust assisted reproductive techniques (ART) project, funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Dr. William Swanson, a veterinarian and reproductive biologist who serves as the Director of Research at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s Center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Wildlife (CREW), led the project. Central to the initiative was the collection and cryopreservation of semen from genetically valuable males. This allowed for artificial insemination attempts and the development and refinement of techniques such as laparoscopic oviductal insemination—methods that have already been successfully applied to other small species including ocelots and Pallas’s cats. The project has yielded several important breakthroughs.
In 2011, the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center achieved a significant milestone by producing black-footed cat kittens from frozen embryos via in vitro fertilization (IVF). Semen collected from a male, “Ramses,” in 2005 was combined with an egg from a female, “Zora,” then cryopreserved and stored for nearly six years. They were then thawed and implanted into a surrogate, “Bijou,” who gave birth to two male kittens in February 2011. The following year, further progress was made with intra- and inter-species embryo transfers. Researchers successfully transferred a cryopreserved black-footed cat embryo into a domestic cat recipient, resulting in the birth of a female black-footed cat in 2012. Developments in electroejaculation have also proven crucial in the black-footed cat project.
In January 2023, the TAG’s Species Survival Plan programs were updated following the completion of the 2022 SSP Assessment and the transition to the new SSP Framework. In this assessment, the Black-footed Cat Species Survival Plan ranked neutral in genetic viability but received negative scores in demography, space and interest, and husbandry. As a result, the program was no longer designated as a SSP, despite having sixteen holding facilities at the time of the assessment. The black-footed cat population faced evident barriers in breeding, survivorship, and genetic diversity.
With a steering committee already in place and strong institutional support from facilities dedicated to the species, the Black-footed Cat Consortium was formed to address these challenges. Modeled after a successful SSP structure, the Consortium creates SMAART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-bound), each accompanied by clear action items and assigned roles for participating institutions. The mission of the Consortium is to build a healthy, genetically diverse population of black-footed cats in human care, and to use this population for research, education, and potential reintroduction to the Southern Afrotropics.
The Consortium has established two regional breeding centers to account for mate choice and incompatibility: one in central Texas—including Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and Cameron Park Zoo—and the other in southern California—including The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens and San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The group also plans to identify new cats for future import from South Africa and begin importations as soon as possible. In addition, they intend to establish a dedicated fund for artificial insemination and integrate these techniques into the breeding plan. Continued support for active ART research projects is also a priority.
The Black-footed Cat Consortium reflects a broader trend of collaboration between AZA and non-AZA institutions to support species conservation through independent but coordinated management. This approach is especially important in the wake of several species losing SSP support and as zoo collections risk becoming increasingly uniform.
By June 2019, there were forty-three black-footed cats at eighteen AZA institutions. An addition two individuals were held at two non-AZA facilities. Despite this, spaces for black-footed cats were decreasing by 30%. Nevertheless, a strategic planning team predicted that the black-footed cat population had the highest potential for successful growth and sustainability within the AZA. Goals were established to import new, genetically unique lines by 2021 into the population. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services had approved a five-year import permit for the importation of semen collected from wild males. These semen imports had been planned for the end of 2017, with initial collections begining the year prior.
The population was also supported by a robust assisted reproductive techniques (ART) project, funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Dr. William Swanson, a veterinarian and reproductive biologist who serves as the Director of Research at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s Center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Wildlife (CREW), led the project. Central to the initiative was the collection and cryopreservation of semen from genetically valuable males. This allowed for artificial insemination attempts and the development and refinement of techniques such as laparoscopic oviductal insemination—methods that have already been successfully applied to other small species including ocelots and Pallas’s cats. The project has yielded several important breakthroughs.
In 2011, the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center achieved a significant milestone by producing black-footed cat kittens from frozen embryos via in vitro fertilization (IVF). Semen collected from a male, “Ramses,” in 2005 was combined with an egg from a female, “Zora,” then cryopreserved and stored for nearly six years. They were then thawed and implanted into a surrogate, “Bijou,” who gave birth to two male kittens in February 2011. The following year, further progress was made with intra- and inter-species embryo transfers. Researchers successfully transferred a cryopreserved black-footed cat embryo into a domestic cat recipient, resulting in the birth of a female black-footed cat in 2012. Developments in electroejaculation have also proven crucial in the black-footed cat project.
In January 2023, the TAG’s Species Survival Plan programs were updated following the completion of the 2022 SSP Assessment and the transition to the new SSP Framework. In this assessment, the Black-footed Cat Species Survival Plan ranked neutral in genetic viability but received negative scores in demography, space and interest, and husbandry. As a result, the program was no longer designated as a SSP, despite having sixteen holding facilities at the time of the assessment. The black-footed cat population faced evident barriers in breeding, survivorship, and genetic diversity.
With a steering committee already in place and strong institutional support from facilities dedicated to the species, the Black-footed Cat Consortium was formed to address these challenges. Modeled after a successful SSP structure, the Consortium creates SMAART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-bound), each accompanied by clear action items and assigned roles for participating institutions. The mission of the Consortium is to build a healthy, genetically diverse population of black-footed cats in human care, and to use this population for research, education, and potential reintroduction to the Southern Afrotropics.
The Consortium has established two regional breeding centers to account for mate choice and incompatibility: one in central Texas—including Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and Cameron Park Zoo—and the other in southern California—including The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens and San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The group also plans to identify new cats for future import from South Africa and begin importations as soon as possible. In addition, they intend to establish a dedicated fund for artificial insemination and integrate these techniques into the breeding plan. Continued support for active ART research projects is also a priority.
The Black-footed Cat Consortium reflects a broader trend of collaboration between AZA and non-AZA institutions to support species conservation through independent but coordinated management. This approach is especially important in the wake of several species losing SSP support and as zoo collections risk becoming increasingly uniform.
