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2019 Cat Specialist Group Report

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IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group 2019 Report Christine Breitenmoser Urs Breitenmoser Co-Chairs Mission statement Research activities: develop camera trapping Christine Breitenmoser (1) Cat Manifesto database which feeds into the Global Mammal Urs Breitenmoser (2) (www.catsg.org/index.php?id=44). Assessment and the IUCN SIS database. Technical advice: (1) develop Cat Monitoring Guidelines; (2) conservation of the Wild Cat Red List Authority Coordinator Projected impact for the 2017-2020 (Felis silvestris) in Scotland: review of the Tabea Lanz (1) quadrennium conservation status and assessment of conser- By 2020, we will have implemented the Assess- Location/Affiliation vation activities. Plan-Act (APA) approach for additional cat (1) Plan KORA, Muri b. Bern, Switzerland species. We envision improving the status (2) Planning: (1) revise the National Action Plan for FIWI/Universtiät Bern and KORA, Muri b. assessments and launching new conservation Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) in Bern, Switzerland planning processes. These conservation initia- Iran; (2) participate in Javan Leopard (Panthera tives will be combined with communicational pardus melas) workshop; (3) facilitate lynx Number of members and educational programmes for people and workshop; (4) develop conservation strategy for 193 institutions living with these species. the Pallas’s Cat (Otocolobus manul); (5) plan- ning for the Leopard in Africa and Southeast Social networks Targets for the 2017-2020 quadrennium Asia; (6) updating and coordination for the Lion Facebook: IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Assess (Panthera leo) Conservation Strategy; (7) facil- Website: www.catsg.org Capacity building: attend and facilitate a work- itate a workshop to develop a conservation shop to develop recommendations for the strategy for the Jaguar (Panthera onca) in a conservation of the Persian Leopard (Panthera number of neglected countries in collaboration pardus tulliana) in July 2020. with San Diego Zoo Global. Documents review: initiate the development Scientific meetings: attend workshop on of the Cat Specialist Group’s Small Cat Agenda non-detriment findings in regard to trophy that includes three over-arching themes, which hunting in Sevilla, Spain. are related to each other and serve the overall Synergy: attend European Association of Zoos goal to advance the conservation of small cats and Aquaria (EAZA) and Association of Zoos and their living spaces. This is reached through and Aquariums (AZA) Felid Taxon Advisory improving our knowledge on small cats, raising Group (TAG) meetings. awareness, building up a ‘small cat community’, Technical advice: (1) attend Convention and initiating specific conservation programmes on Migratory Species (CMS) Central Asian wherever needed and possible. Mammals Initiative (CAMI) midterm work- Red List: update key Red List assessments: shop; (2) attend CITES Animal Committee, Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), Chinese Mountain Cat (Felis bieti), Leopard (Panthera pardus) subspecies. Vulnerable Leopard, Panthera pardus Photo: P. Meier Steering Committee meetings and Conference Technical advice: organise a meeting with Lion 2020 as a member of the scientific committee of the Parties (CoP); (3) attend first range state specialists and the appointed Lion database and key note speaker; (5) attend international meeting of the joint CITES-CMS African Carni- manager to discuss the Lion database and the conference on Snow Leopard monitoring and vores Initiative (ACI); (4) organise a one-day content of the Guidelines for the Conservation conservation and organise a side event for the workshop with CITES and CMS Secretariats of Lions in Africa. Pallas’s Cat in May 2020. to discuss cat items on their agenda and how Synergy: attend the World Conservation we can support them, and to have an initial Congress in Marseille in June 2020 and partici- Activities and results 2019 discussion of the Programme of Work for the pate in a number of sessions during the forum. Assess joint African Carnivores Initiative; (5) finalise the Communicate Roadmap for the Conservation of the Leopard Documents review Communication: (1) World Wildlife Day cele- in Africa on a mandate from CMS under the i. Draft assessments of the knowledge base bration: Cat theme; (2) develop a Cat News African Carnivores Initiative; (6) submit the final and the quality of the Red List assessment for issue on the Status and Conservation Needs for version of the Guidelines for the Conservation eight species: Andean Cat (Leopardus jacobita), Pallas’s Cat; (3) develop a Cat News issue on of Lions in Africa to the CITES Secretariat in time African Golden Cat (Caracal aurata), European the Status and Conservation Needs for Eurasian for CoP18. Wildcat (Felis silvestris), Jungle Cat (Felis chaus), Lynx (Lynx lynx) in Continental Europe; (4) scale Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), Act up communication and fundraising; (5) produce Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps), Conservation actions: (1) support implementa- two regular Cat News issues per year. Pallas’s Cat, and Borneo Bay Cat (Catopuma tion of the revised strategy for Leopard in the Policy: attend the CMS CoP13 in India and badia). (KSR #15) Caucasus ecoregion; (2) support implemen- participate in a side event on the African Carni- tation of the revised National Action Plan for Red List vores Initiative. Asiatic Cheetah in Iran. i. Assessment for Indochinese Leopard Scientific meetings: (1) participate in the Suicide (Panthera pardus delacouri) completed and Network or Survival (SOS) Conference in The Hague uploaded; assessment for Sri Lankan Leopard Communication: (1) maintain the Digital Cat representing the IUCN SSC APA approach; (2) (P. p. kotiya) completed and submitted. Because Library; (2) attend the SSC Leaders’ Meeting in attend the 2nd International Small Wild Cat the Wild Cat is now two species, we initiated the Abu Dhabi and contribute to various sessions. Conservation Summit; (3) attend meeting of assessment of both species, Felis silvestris and the African Lion Working Group; (4) attend the Policy: attend CITES Animal Committee, Felis lybica. We also initiated the reassessment II International Symposium on the Ecology and Steering Committee meetings and CoP. of Pallas’s Cat, Chinese Mountain Cat, Indian Conservation of the Jaguar and other Neotrop- ical Cats in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil in August African wildcat Photo: P. Meier Leopard (P. p. fusca), Arabian Leopard (P. p. nimr) and Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). (KSR #1) Technical advice i. Initial discussions to develop cat monitoring guidelines started in 2019; the first expert work- shop for Lions will be in 2020. (KSR #18) Plan Planning i. Planning and fundraising phase for the Leopard started for southern Africa. (KSR #15) ii. We developed the Guidelines for the Conser- vation of Lions in Africa, delivered to CITES in English and French, together with more than 50 authors from the wider Cat Specialist Group network. (KSR #15) iii. We facilitated a workshop to develop a regional conservation strategy for the Jaguar in Near Threatened Jaguar, Panthera onca South America in collaboration with San Diego Photo: P. Meier Zoo Global. The strategy together with a status update and a number of topical chapters will be published as a Special Issue of Cat News in 2020. (KSR #15) iv. Conservation strategy for the Pallas’s Cat published as part of Cat News Special Issue 13 in spring 2019. (KSR #15) Technical advice i. A workshop took place in October 2019 together with CITES and CMS Secretariats to discuss cat items on their agenda and how we can support them, and to have an initial discussion of the Programme of Work for the joint African Carnivores Initiative. We have also invited the SOS African Wildlife Initiative to attend. (KSR #26) ii. We revised the first draft of the Roadmap Communicate projects would not be possible without financial for the Conservation of the Leopard in Africa Communication support from many committed institutions and based on the comments from the Range private persons. We are very grateful for the i. We published Cat News Special Issue 13 in States and submitted it to CMS Secretariat in Spring 2019. (KSR #28) support of the Friends of the Cat Group, MAVA September 2019, in English and French. It will be Foundation, Zoo Leipzig, Fondation Segré, ii. A symposium took place in June 2019, with discussed at CMS CoP13 and the CITES Animals Taiwan Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau, 50 lynx experts from continental Europe partic- Committee meeting in 2020. (KSR #15) AZA Felid TAG, HIT Stiftung, The New Mexico ipating. The recommendations have been Biopark Society, IUCN SSC Internal Grant, Envi- iii. We have revised the Guidelines for the presented to the Standing Committee of the ronment Agency – Abu Dhabi, The Wild Cat Conservation of Lions in Africa based on input Berne Convention in December 2019. The Cat Conservation Foundation, Council of Europe, from the Range States and submitted the News Special Issue on the Status and Conser- CMS Convention on Migratory Species, Stämpfli revised version in English and French to the vation Needs for Eurasian Lynx Lynx lynx in AG, and especially Patrick Meier and Peter CITES Secretariat in time for CoP18. It was also Continental Europe is under way and will be Stämpfli. submitted as an Information Document for CMS published in 2020. (KSR #28) CoP13. (KSR #26) iii. We produced two regular Cat News issues Summary of activities 2019 Network (CN69 and CN70) with 35 peer reviewed papers. Communication (KSR #28) Components of Species Conservation Cycle: 4/5 i. We have uploaded 630 papers to the Digital Scientific meetings Assess 3 ||| Cat Library, which contained at the end of i. We attended both the Kenya Wildlife Service Plan 7 ||||||| 2019 a total of 12,749 cat conservation relevant Carnivore Symposium in Nairobi and the African Network 3 ||| publications. Lion Working Group (ALWG) meeting in Mpala. Communicate 4 |||| ii. Urs gave a talk under 1.3 ‘Species Strategic We signed a memorandum of understanding Main KSRs addressed: 1, 15, 18, 26, 28, 29 Plan, IUCN Programme 2021–2024, SSC Data (MoU) with the ALWG.
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  • Sharma, V. & Sankhala, K. 1984. Vanishing Cats of Rajasthan. J in Jackson, P

    Sharma, V. & Sankhala, K. 1984. Vanishing Cats of Rajasthan. J in Jackson, P

    Sharma, V. & Sankhala, K. 1984. Vanishing Cats of Rajasthan. J In Jackson, P. (Ed). Proceedings from the Cat Specialist Group meeting in Kanha National Park. p. 116-135. Keywords: 4Asia/4IN/Acinonyx jubatus/caracal/Caracal caracal/cats/cheetah/desert cat/ distribution/felidae/felids/Felis chaus/Felis silvestris ornata/fishing cat/habitat/jungle cat/ lesser cats/observation/Prionailurus viverrinus/Rajasthan/reintroduction/status 22 117 VANISHING CATS OF RAJASTHAN Vishnu Sharma Conservator of Forests Wildlife, Rajasthan Kailash Sankhala Ex-Chief Wildlife Warden, Rajasthan Summary The present study of the ecological status of the lesser cats of Rajasthan is a rapid survey. It gives broad indications of the position of fishing cats, caracals, desert cats and jungle cats. Less than ten fishing cats have been reported from Bharatpur. This is the only locality where fishing cats have been seen. Caracals are known to occur locally in Sariska in Alwar, Ranthambore in Sawaimadhopur, Pali and Doongargarh in Bikaner district. Their number is estimated to be less than fifty. Desert cats are thinly distributed over entire desert range receiving less than 60 cm rainfall. Their number may not be more than 500. Jungle cats are still found all over the State except in extremely arid zone receiving less than 20 cms of rainfall. An intelligent estimate places their population around 2000. The study reveals that the Indian hunting cheetah did not exist in Rajasthan even during the last century when ecological conditions were more favourable than they are even today in Africa. The cats are important in the ecological chain specially in controlling the population of rodent pests.