Table of Contents Endangered Cats of North America
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Table of Contents Endangered Cats of North America From the forests of eastern Canada to the scrublands of Mexico, wild cats were once prevalent throughout North America. These creatures were among the most beautiful, graceful, and revered Executive animals found on the planet. Summary.................... 2 Today, however, the future of many North American cats is uncertain. Humans have rapidly populated and developed many areas of the continent, destroying natural areas to build roads and Common Issues in North cities, converting wild lands for agriculture and grazing, and degrading habitats to extract natural American Cat Conservation.... 6 resources. Fear and intolerance, the sentiments that fueled historic predator extermination pro- Why Care About Cats?...... 7 grams, still complicate efforts to conserve North America’s wild cats and to find solutions that Habitat Loss, Degradation, accommodate both wildlife and human needs. and Fragmentation................ 8 Conserving wild cats offers the opportunity to protect some of North America’s most beloved Roads and Road Mortality...... 10 animals, the wild places they inhabit, and the many diverse species that share their homes. As we Public Perception of Cats.......... 12 enter the twenty-first century, humans hold the power to influence the future of North America’s felines and the unique places they inhabit. Reintroduction of Endangered Cats........................ 14 The Endangered Cats of North America report takes a thoughtful look at the different wild cat species Working With Private of North America and the most pressing threats to their survival. Even more importantly, the Landowners................................ 16 report provides concrete suggestions for what can be done to save these cats. These recommenda- tions were generated by leading wild cat specialists, biologists, educators, and conservationists in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Conservation Needs and Recommendations Florida Panther........................... 18 But the significance of this report goes beyond its potential benefits for wild felines. As part of NWF’s ongoing effort to “keep the wild alive” in our world, this publication is designed to educate Border Cats concerned citizens about the important role everyone can play in determining the fate of wildlife and Ocelot/Jaguarundi................ 26 habitat. Jaguar.................................. 34 Working with the National Wildlife Federation, citizens have already been able to craft common Canada Lynx............................... 40 sense approaches that have successfully restored wolves to Yellowstone National Park, initiated the Cougars...................................... 50 resurgence of the Everglades and its countless wildlife residents, and spearheaded a process for reintroducing grizzly bears to the Selway-Bitterroot wilderness of Idaho and Montana. Elsewhere, NWF Recommendations..................... 60 activists are addressing the challenge of conserving healthy habitat and natural resources to sup- port wildlife and human communities, too. It’s not easy, but it all begins with knowledge and the Conclusion.................................. 63 understanding that our choices do make a difference. Acknowledgements....................... 64 Perhaps your own personal conservation efforts will blossom from the seeds of information and understanding contained in these pages. That is our hope. We urge you to get involved and to use this information to make tangible contributions toward the conservation and recovery of North America’s wild cats and the wild places they inhabit. Mark Van Putten President & CEO National Wildlife Federation 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Conserving North America’s cats is integral to protecting the continent’s wildlife heritage and to saving many of the pristine, wild places that still remain. 2 W hile the North American continent was once home to Common Issues in North American healthy populations of a variety of cat species and subspecies, most of these cats now exist in greatly Cat Conservation depleted numbers. Historic predator control programs and exploitation for the fur trade, as well as continuing Habitat Loss, Degradation, and Fragmentation: Habitat large-scale habitat loss, have taken their toll on each of loss, due to a variety of human activities, is now the North America’s feline species. As we enter the twenty- single greatest threat to the persistence of North first century, cougars have been virtually eliminated America’s cats. Ensuring the long-term health of North from the eastern United States and Canada; the eastern American cat populations depends upon successful cougar subspecies is presumed extinct; ocelots, jagua- efforts to: 1) conserve and manage current occupied cat rundis, and jaguars have declined throughout their habitat; 2) protect areas of historic habitat that might one ranges; and Canada lynx are now rare in the southern day support cat populations again; 3) create wildlife parts of their range. travel corridors between the areas of habitat that currently exist; and 4) manage human activities to conserve cat The significance of these losses is not limited to just habitat. aesthetic or ethical concerns. The loss of top predators also causes imbalances in the ecosystems from which Roads and Road Mortality: Roads are a significant — they have been removed, allowing overpopulation and and perhaps the most underpublicized — threat to North declines among other species that share their habitats. American cats. Not only do they place individual cats at Thus, conserving North America’s cats is integral to risk of mortality, but they can threaten entire populations protecting the continent’s wildlife heritage and to saving by isolating cats into fragments of habitat, limiting oppor- many of the pristine, wild places that still remain. tunities for dispersal, and even increasing risk of inbreed- ing or territorial competition between cats. Including Stemming from an international workshop held by the wildlife culverts, bridges, and underpasses on both new National Wildlife Federation in February 2000, Endan- and existing roads is central to reducing these impacts. gered Cats of North America takes a comprehensive look at But success in reducing the negative effects of roads on the issues facing cats in the United States, Canada, and cats will also demand cooperation between wildlife and Mexico and offers recommendations that address some transportation agencies. The public must also play a key of the most critical of these problems. The report also role, both by opposing road alignments that directly assesses conservation needs and offers recommenda- threaten cat populations and by advocating for the inclu- tions for moving several specific cat species and subspe- sion of proper wildlife passages. cies closer to recovery. The recommendations listed throughout the body of the report reflect the proceed- Public Perception of Cats: Many people actively support ings of the Endangered Cats of North America work- efforts to protect cats in North America; however, fear shop. The report concludes with priorities that the and misunderstanding of cats still complicate efforts to National Wildlife Federation identifies as critical to conserve them throughout the continent. People and cats moving North America’s cats toward recovery. can co-exist peacefully, but broadening the base of sup- 3 port for cat conservation will require addressing human con- in south Florida. Other concerns include: 1) preserving the cerns. Educating people about how human activities influence unique genetic traits of this subspecies; 2) improving the use of cat behavior and encouraging community involvement in resources to protect panthers; 3) reestablishing additional government cat conservation efforts will be critical to building populations of panthers in historic habitat—as the U.S. Fish and this support. Wildlife Service calls for in its recovery plan; and 4) improving political leadership to ensure that the subspecies is properly Reintroduction of Endangered Cats: In some cases, reintroduc- protected. ing cats to former habitat areas is critical to their recovery. These efforts, however, can be very controversial. Furthermore, Border Cats: All three cats that cross the U.S.-Mexico border— lack of adequate habitat can hinder reintroduction efforts, the ocelot, jaguarundi, and jaguar—rely upon protections on especially in areas from which cats have already been elimi- both sides of the border to help their populations recover. Key nated. Successful reintroductions will thus depend upon: 1) conservation efforts for ocelots and jaguarundis along the south adequate public outreach to address concerns about the pres- Texas border include the following: 1) addressing habitat loss ence of imperiled cats; and 2) land conservation efforts in both and fragmentation, particularly conversion for agriculture, present and historic cat habitats. urban sprawl, and large-scale destruction for charcoal produc- tion in Mexico; 2) minimizing fragmentation and mortalities due Working With Private Landowners: Because a significant to roads; and 3) research, public education, and outreach to raise portion of cat habitat in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico is pri- the public profile of these cats and their conservation needs. vately owned, addressing the needs and concerns of private Conservation priorities for jaguars include: 1) slowing habitat landowners is essential to successful conservation of North loss due to deforestation, agriculture,