Small Wild Cat Conservation

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WS

So pleased you posted that WS - my e-mail wiped itself of my phone and then wasn't on my pc when i checked in the office just now so that's great to be able to read their news.

Lai

Thanks for that WS, I haven't opened my email for that one from yesterday yet, so it was good to catch up with it now. I love these newsletters and I adore the Bah Humbug photo, so brilliant.

littlewid-x-

I thpught the Bahh Hombug was a great shot as well
WS

He definately didn't look HO HO HO did he

littlewid-x-

I missed WS's post. I agree with Doogs the 'bah humbug' picture is classic.

SM

Great find WS, really interesting stuff, i had no idea there were so many breeds of small cats.

Thanks you for updating Doogs

TTMx

Thanks Doogs - i've not had a chance to look at my email yet so a good catch up needed later.

Lai

Thanks for that Doogs,

Read as far as the orphaned cheetah cubs. Oh my what a rescue. I am so glad Ethiopian customs were vigilant and found these little guys in there search of traders.

I will have to keep an eye on that story as they did not say what the programme is for them. I hope they are being cared for with the aim of releasing them later. Does anyone know the form for rehabilitation of wild cheetahs for release??

SM

Africat Foundation is one of the best organisations, for releasing rescued, and orphan Cheetahs, and Leopards. It was shown in Cheetah Kingdom not long ago, how they treated, and released Cheetahs even orphans. The link is below
http://www.africat.org/history.html
Cheetah Conservation Fund featured in Cheetah Chatter is also another that releases Cheetahs back into the wild
http://cheetahconservation.wildlifedirect.org/page/7/
WS

Thanks Doogs

Lai

Thanks for the update Doogs
WS

Any new Newsletter for April yet?

SM

I received my email on 1st April, so have taken this off one of the links on my email for you all.

http://felids.wordpress.com/

littlewid-x-

Thanks LW I must check mine I'm not sure I received it either
WS

I had better check my emails on Tuesday as I can't remember if I received it or not.

Thanks for the link Littlewid.

Lai

We haven't posted on this one for some time now. I received the latest newsletter yesterday I believe and their feature this time is the beautiful Cougar. Here is the link to their factsheet, packed with loads of information.

http://www.wildcatconservation.org/Cougar.html

This link has some gorgeous pictures of baby Fishing Cats
http://felids.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/baby-fishing-cats/

And here is some information and an article about them from the latest newsletter.

Earlier this month our blog featured some adorable baby fishing cat photos. The post was a real hit with our readers, and we received an intriguing comment on it:


What will become these baby fishing cats when they're adults ? Will they be reintroduced in their natural habitat or will they have to live in captivity their whole lives ?

This is a question we are often asked, particularly when we feature pictures wild cats in zoos, and it gives us a chance to clarify a few things. Thank you David, for asking.

Consider the situation in the Fishing Cats' native habitat.

These cats are widely distributed but concentrated in wetland habitats, which are increasingly being settled, degraded and converted. Over 94% of globally significant wetlands in Southeast Asia are considered threatened by human settlement, draining for agriculture, pollution, wood-cutting and fishing. In addition, clearance of coastal mangroves over the past decade has been rapid. The depletion of fish stocks from over-fishing is prevalent and is likely to be a significant threat.

Indiscriminate trapping, snaring and poisoning are also taking a toll. Fishing Cats are considered a food item in many areas of their range, and are also persecuted for taking domestic stock. They can often be seen for sale in street markets. The scarcity of recent records throughout their range suggests that over the past decade, they have undergone a serious and significant population decline. In 2008, they were moved from Vulnerable Status to Endangered.

Would cats living in zoos, with meals brought to them on a regular basis, warm shelter and protection from predators want to be put into a world like this?

Before any reintroduction program can happen, four elements must be firmly in place:


Field research must be done on the species in any area proposed for reintroduction. Is the species already found there, how big are their territories, are there enough prey animals and what dangers would they face are just a few of the questions that must be answered.
The people living nearby and government officials must be made aware of the cats, and their importance to the health of the ecosystem. Without these education programs, the hunting and killing will continue.
Captive breeding programs must provide genetically variant offspring - most of the small wild cats are not well represented in zoos, meaning there are not enough animals to produce animals for reintroduction.
Habitat must be preserved. Without implementing or strengthening laws already in place, the rapid destruction of ecosystems all over the world will continue.

None of these elements are in place for the Fishing Cats. We would all like to see wild animals living where they belong, but the unfortunate truth is that the wild is rapidly disappearing. For the Fishing Cats, wetlands are being drained at so rapid a pace the cats are on an accelerated slide towards extinction. Like the tiger, their only hope of survival may be the zoo population.

If we don't like that answer, it's up to all of us to reverse the trend - for wild cats and the rest of the world's wildlife.


Posted by Pat Bumstead

littlewid-x-