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Felid Biology and Conservation Conference” to Be Held in Oxford, 17-21 September 2007

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Felid Biology and Conservation Conference” to Be Held in Oxford, 17-21 September 2007 Programme and Abstracts Felid Biology and Conservation An International Conference The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Oxford University Panthera Foundation IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group 17-20 September 2007 Oxford Compiled by: Joelene Hughes and Richard Mercer Cover Art: Priscilla Barlett Cover Design: 1 Preface This volume contains the programme and abstracts of the “Felid Biology and Conservation Conference” to be held in Oxford, 17-21 September 2007. The conference is organized by the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) from the Zoology Department at University of Oxford, UK. The meeting has been made possible by the generous patronage of the Panthera Foundation and the collaboration of the IUCN/Cat Specialist Group. This conference brings many international researchers, colleagues and friends to Oxford for what we hope will be a memorable occasion. As you will be aware, the meeting is concerned with all aspects of the study and conservation of all members of the Felidae. The event will start with a welcoming icebreaker in the stunning court of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, where, following a welcome from David Macdonald, we are thrilled that Thomas Kaplan, chairman and founder of the Panthera Foundation, will present the Kaplan-Rabinowitz Prize to George Schaller (who will then address the assembly). The following three days of the conference will then go on to include an exemplary selection of papers and posters on the biology and conservation of the Felidae from a gathering of uniquely experienced and notable researchers. Finally there will be a gala dinner to round off the conference in the inspirational halls of Keble College. Oxford provides an ideal venue for this international conference on the felids, large and small. The world renowned academic resources, exceptional architecture and fascinating history hopefully make this city an inspiration and pleasure for all to enjoy. For the WildCRU, this fascination with felids goes back a long way: David Macdonald began work on farm and feral cats in 1978, a project that led to a famous 50-minute BBC1 documentary, The Curious Cat, and he has maintained an unbroken lineage of felid projects ever since: currently the WildCRU has projects on species from lions in Zimbabwe to pumas in Chile, from tigers in Bhutan to clouded leopards in Borneo, and jaguars in Brazil to wildcats in Scotland – projects which involve morphology, genetics, behavioural ecology and, above all, attempts to solve the conflict all too often apparent between felids and folk. We hope you have a wonderful stay in Oxford and find time to enjoy Oxford’s beautiful colleges and serene parks. Above all, we hope this conference will help us all to understand better the biology of felids, and enable us better to advance the conservation of these beautiful creatures. We are grateful to the many delegates who have contributed their time and expertise to ensure the success of the conference. David Macdonald Andrew Loveridge Conference Organisers 2 Scientific Committee • David Macdonald (WildCRU, Oxford University, UK) (Chairman) • Andrew Loveridge (WildCRU, Oxford University, UK) • Claudio Sillero (WildCRU, Oxford University, UK) • Christine Breitenmoser (IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group) • Urs Breitenmoser (IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group) • Warren Johnson (National Cancer Institute, USA) • Ullas Karanth (WCS, India) • Mauro Lucherini (Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina) • Gus Mills (National Parks Board, South Africa) • Tadeu G. de Oliviera (ProCarnivoros, Brazil) • Alan Rabinowitz (WCS, USA) • John Seidensticker (Smithsonian Institute, USA) 3 The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit ( TheWildCRU) The mission of the WildCRU is to achieve practical solutions to conservation problems. We do this through original scientific research of the highest calibre. All of our projects aspire to fulfil all four elements of what we have termed “The Conservation Quartet” – Research to understand the problem; Education to explain it; Community Involvement to ensure acceptance and participation, and Implementation of a solution. Crucially, at the WildCRU we train committed conservation scientists to conduct research, and to put scientific knowledge into practice. From the moment of its foundation, in 1986, the WildCRU has grown to become renowned worldwide. The WildCRU has contributed exciting results to some of the most topical areas of research in modern animal biology. Today we are sited at Tubney House, outside the city centre, but remain part of the University of Oxford’s Zoology Department, with close college links to Lady Margaret Hall and to the University's Field Centre at Wytham. Our cross-cutting research encompasses the fields of animal behaviour, ecology, physiology, biochemistry, parasitology, epidemiology and genetics, coupled with a strong thrust in social sciences including public health, environmental economics and development. David Macdonald began work on felids in 1978, and they have remained a strong, and now substantial, strand of our work here at the WildCRU ever since. Now, with the support of the Panthera Foundation, we are initiating a new phase of training and research in felid conservation. Our success is reflected in a range of achievements but most importantly, our work has made a difference. It has helped, and we are dedicated to ensure that it continues help, solve problems for the benefit of wildlife, the environment and mankind. 4 Panthera Foundation “Panthera's ambition is ultimately nothing less than to save all wild cat species across their ranges, and to do so in a scientifically rigorous and sustainable manner.” Thomas S Kaplan, 2007. Panthera is devoted to saving in situ populations of the world’s 36 species of wild cats and the landscapes they inhabit. We aim to achieve this goal by collaborating with, supporting and fostering the world’s leading wild felid conservationists in conducting rigorous scientific research, planning and implementing conservation actions, and working with local, national and international stakeholders to advance wild cat conservation. Panthera believes that large, contiguous populations of wild cats are important indicators of intact functioning ecosystems, and that the focused protection of wild cats furthers the conservation of a large number of other species present in those ecosystems. Since its inception in 2006 Panthera has initiate programs across a broad arc, touching - even redefining - numerous aspects of wild cat conservation. Some of our initial collaborations include working with the American Museum of Natural History in New York on felid genetics; setting up and supporting some of the most ambitious range-wide conservation programs with the Wildlife Conservation Society on tigers, lions and jaguars; collaboration with WWF and the Snow Leopard Conservation Trust on snow leopards; and joint-ventures with Oxford University's WildCRU, Kenya’s Northern Rangelands Trust, and the Zoological Society of London. In addition, Panthera has independently initiated the first global scholarship program for post-graduate research in wild cat studies, established a young scientist and lifetime achievement award for work on wild cats, and put together a strategic lands initiative to assist in the purchase of vast tracts of land linking protected areas in critical habitats, such as the Brazilian Pantanal. 5 IUCN Cat Specialist Group The IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group (Cat SG) brings together over 200 international leading cat experts from 50 countries, dedicated to advancing the understanding and conservation of the world’s 36 wild living cat species. The Cat SG was founded in 1971 at a meeting of international cat specialists, with Professor Paul Leyhausen of the Max Planck Institute for Physiology of Behaviour elected Chairman. He was succeeded by the British conservation scientist Dr Norman Myers. In 1983, Peter Jackson, a British tiger specialist, was appointed, serving until his retirement in 2000. He was succeeded by Swiss carnivore specialists, Drs Urs and Christine Breitenmoser. The group is one of over 120 similar specialist groups forming the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the IUCN. The Specialist Groups perform species assessments for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species TM, and produce species action plans and policy guidelines. These groups also provide information for the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, which is hosted by UNEP, and advise governments’ party to CITES. Additionally, the Cat SG focuses on its own initiatives such as: the development of tools for species status assessments; the compilation and distribution of intelligence and supporting the work of its members. In 1996, the Cat SG's major work, "Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan" was published, becoming a standard reference on the natural history of the cats. A central concern of the group is to promote dialogue among scientists and practitioners throughout the world, believing that cooperation and knowledge sharing are critical for the conservation of the wild cats. 6 Map of Oxford Town Centre 7 Map of Conference Venues PHYSICS OUMNH Zoology Department Keble College University Club TOWN CENTRE Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH) First Floor Gallery Lecture Theatre Court Area (Ground Floor) Exit Entrance / Exit 8 Physics Department 9 Conference Events Welcome Reception at Oxford University Museum of Natural History Monday 17 September 18:00 to 20:00 Drinks and canapés will be provided. This is an opportunity
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