Small cats face big threats: Reasons to save these elusive endangered species

[UngulateNerd92]

• Though lesser known than big cats, such as tigers or snow leopards, more than 30 species of small cats roam the world. They’re well adapted to drastically different habitats, as varied as South America’s high Andes and Asia’s coastal wetlands. Though stealthy and largely unseen, they have value to ecosystems and humanity.

• Generalist small felid species, such as the jungle cat and leopard cat, can thrive in disturbed or agricultural landscapes. There, researchers say, they can significantly aid farmers by reducing rodent populations.

• Small cats also play a key role in maintaining ecosystem health by controlling small mammal populations in the wild.

• Many species, such as the fishing cat and Andean cat, are specialists, thriving in specific habitats, making them potentially important indicators of ecosystem health. Conservationists believe small cat species could make ideal candidates for both conservation and restoration in the global push for the rewilding of nature.

Scotland’s population of wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) has dwindled to the point that it is functionally extinct, with fewer than 30 likely left in the wild. Conservationists are rushing to save the species — also known as the Scottish wildcat or Highland tiger — through a reintroduction program set to kick off later this year.

A combination of habitat loss, persecution and, most recently, hybridization with domestic cats drove the species to its current crisis point. But the Highland tiger isn’t alone in its predicament, and it can be seen as a possible indicator of looming ecosystem collapse: The United Kingdom is one of the most nature-depleted places on Earth.

Bringing the Scottish wildcat back could have a plethora of benefits, says Richard Bunting, a spokesperson for the Scottish Rewilding Alliance. The Highland cat, along with small cats the world over, plays a key ecological role by controlling small mammal populations in their natural habitats. Many cats, though maligned, also aid farmers by reducing rodents. In Scotland, the cat’s return could also boost local economies through activities such as wildlife observation and ecotourism.

Small cats face big threats: Reasons to save these elusive endangered species

 

[Dassie rat]

Here is a list of how many ZTL zoos contain small cats of various conservation statuses

Critically endangered: Asiatic cheetah 0, Northwest African cheetah 0
Endangered: Iberian lynx 7; Chinese leopard cat 1; Andean cat 0; Bay cat 0; Flat-headed cat 0
Vulnerable: South African cheetah 124; Fishing cat 44; Sudan cheetah 17, Southern oncilla 4, Oncilla 2; African golden cat 0; Black-footed cat 0; Central American jaguarundi 0; Cheetah 0; Chinese mountain cat 0; Kodkod 0
Near threatened: Arabian sand cat 27; Yucatan margay 23; Sri Lankan rusty-spotted cat 21, Asian golden cat 2; Central American margay 1 Marbled cat 1, Margay 0; Pampas cat 0
Least concern: Serval 189; European wild cat 141; European lynx 114, Cougar 113; Caracal 73; Ocelot 54; Siberian Pallas' cat 43; Geoffroy's cat 35; Jungle cat 33; Bobcat 31; Jaguarudni 27; Amur leopard cat 25; Indochinese leopard cat 14; Canadian lynx 13; Common caracal 12; Central Asian lynx 11; Leopard cat 7; Brazilian cougar 1, Central American cougar 0; Eastern serval 0, Pallas' cat 0; West African serval 0
Not evaluated: Gordon's wild cat 12

No status mentioned: Northern lynx 223, Carpathian lynx 51; Siberian lynx 11, Amur lynx 3; Caucasian lynx 3, Irkutsk lynx 1
Palestine jungle cat 4, Caucasian jungle cat 2, Egyptian jungle cat 1, Indian jungle cat 0, Kashmir jungle cat 0, Russian jungle cat 0
Scottish wild cat 35, East African wild cat 2; African wild cat 0; Caspian steppe wild cat 0; Caucasian wild cat 0; Indian desert cat 0, Kalahari wild cat 0, Palestine wild cat 0, Southern African wild cat 0, Uganda wild cat 0, West African wild cat 0
Andean oncilla 0, Northeastern oncilla 0
Missouri cougar 1, Argentine cougar 0; California cougar 0, Chilean cougar 0, Oregon cougar 0, Pearson's puma 0
Bolivian margay 0; Brazilian margay 0, Margay (vigens) 0
Palawan leopard cat 4, Bornean leopard cat 0, Javan leopard cat 0, Sumatran leopard cat 0
Caribbean ocelot 0, Central American ocelot 0, Ecuador ocelot 0, South American ocelot 0, Venezuelan ocelot 0
Central Asian Pallas' cat 0; Himalayan Pallas' cat 0
Central Chilean colocolo 0, Northern colocolo 0, Southern colocolo 0
Tibetan golden cat 2, Chinese golden cat 0, South east Asian golden cat 0
Schmitz's caracal 4, Damara caracal 0, North African caracal 0, Nubian caracal 0, Turkmenian caracal 0
East African cheetah 0
Javan fishing cat 0
Pakistan sand cat 0, Saharan sand cat 0, Turkestan sand cat 0
Southern jaguarundi 0
Southern serval 1, Uganda serval 0