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Wi l d Fe l i d Mo n i t o r Newsletter of the Wild Felid Research and Management Association (WFA) Winter 2007-2008, Volume 1, Issue 1.

Introducing the WFA Wi l d Ca t s a n d Cl i m a t e Ch a n g e Linda Sweanor Interim Board President John Seidensticker, Senior Scientist, Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park, [email protected] [email protected]

I am excited to present the first he 1,300 km² lowland, secondary, tropi- surrounded by human settlement and cultiva- issue of the Wild Felid Monitor. cal in Way Kambas National Park tion; options for connecting it through corridors Over the past , a highly mo- on ’s () southeast coast with other protected areas such as Berbak, Tessi tivated group of 10 people with a Tnormally receives 286 mm of rain per month. Nilo, or Bukit Barisan are no longer available. mix of experience in felid research, But during the 1997 El Nino, the park received For now, Way Kambas continues to limp along. management, and conservation less than 10% of normal. Neil Franklin (2002) A new El Nino event will again threaten, or even has been working to create a new observed seawater intrud- overwhelm, the small pop- organization—the Wild Felid ing in the waterways 16 “... depending on the of ulations of Sumatran , Research and Management Asso- km inland from the coast; wild there will be loss of critical rhino, elephant, clouded ciation, or WFA. This newsletter fires burned over 55% of habitats and range fragmentations, , flat-headed cat, is the first fruit of that labor. You the park; poaching pres- contractions, and expansion result- golden cat, and fishing might ask, “Why and how was sure increased; and the to- ing from climate change.” cat, and the multitude of this organization started? Do we tal estimated tiger density other plants and need this organization? How is it was 4.6/100 km² in 1997, 2.6 in 1998, 1.1 in 1999, that live is this tiny vestige of what was once the different from other felid organi- then 2.6 in 2000. While some died in great lowland rainforest of Sumatra. Way Kam- zations? What can this organiza- the fires, the results of the fires on prey popula- bas is set up for a catastrophic event and there tion do for me – or for the animals tions and direct mortality from poaching could isn’t much anyone can do about it. I may be trying to study, manage not be separated. The park is a habitat island (continued on p.6) or conserve?” Finally, you might just wonder, “What’s in this news- letter, and how can I contribute?”

Establishing the WFA An interest in the formation of a new professional association on wild felids was first expressed by participants at the Eighth Moun- tain Workshop held in Leav- enworth, , USA in May, 2005. A survey of 56 U.S. and Canadian participants indicated that improved communication (continued on p.3)

Join the WFA and receive future issues of the Wild Felid Monitor Application page 25 © Susan C. Morse www.wildfelid.org; [email protected] The Wild Felid Research and Management Association

The Wild Felid Research and Management Association (WFA) is a professional association open to researchers, wildlife managers, educators and others dedicated to the conservation of all wild felid species, with an emphasis on those species in the western hemisphere. The WFA acts in an advisory capacity to facilitate wild felid conservation, management, research, and public education, and functions among various governments, agencies, councils, universities and organizations responsible or interested in wild felids and their habitats.

In This Issue

Board News Notes from the Field 1 Welcome to the WFA 14 Predicting the effects of forest management on 4 Dedication 5 In Memory 15 Projeto : Studying and conserving puma and 7 Contribute to the Wild Felid Monitor in Brazil 7 WFA at the 9th Mountain Lion Workshop 16 Project CAT: An experiment in science and education 7 Graduate scholarship opportunity 17 The Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project: An intro 8 Wild felids of the western hemisphere 18 research in 24 Future wild felid events 25-26 WFA member application and survey Tools of the Trade 27 Board of Directors contact information 19 Noninvasive sampling techniques for wild felids

Voices Research Highlights 1 Wild and climate change 20 Studying effects of urbanization on disease dynamics in 9 Prioritizing conservation action and funding , pumas and domestic cats for the 20 Novel spatial tools for connectivity conservation: in southern California Conference Reports 20 Paraguay jaguar study 10 Felid biology and conservation conference 21 Canadian lynx cycles and barriers to dispersal 11 on the border: Biological and political 21 Ecology and conservation of cougars in the eastern realities for conservation planning Great Basin 21 Examining the habitat and prey selection of an Management News isolated cougar population 11 Trapping in restricted to protect Canada lynx 12 Mountain lion management and hunter education in Recent Publications 22-23 Recent publications 13 Update on Canada lynx reintroduction in Colorado

Cover and back photo credits: Susan Morse, [email protected] WFA logo designed by Ben Wright, [email protected]

The Wild Felid Monitor is the biannual newsletter of the Wild Felid Research and Management Association (WFA) Editor: Chris Papouchis Newsletter Committee: Linda Sweanor, Gary Koehler, Sharon Negri, Hugh Robinson PO Box 3335, Montrose CO 81402 USA E-mail: [email protected], Websites: www.wildfelid.org & www.wildfelid.com

Editorial Policy The Wild Felid Monitor encourages submission of articles, information and letters on ecology, research, management and conservation of wild felid species, and particularly of those species native to the western hemisphere. Preferred length of submissions is about 750 words. Submissions of photos, drawings and charts are encouraged. Electronic submissions to [email protected] are preferred; otherwise mail to the address above. The WFA reserves the right to accept, reject and edit submissions.

Deadline for the Summer 2008 issue is March 5, 2008 Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue. The artwork is copyrighted – Please do not reproduce without permission.

Membership Use the form on page 25 to order memberships and/or make donations. 2 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 WFA Board News

(From the President, from page 1) and networking was needed to help bring people of similar inter- also incorporate the diverse public values towards felids into man- ests together, provide opportunities to pool resources and build on agement and conservation policy (see Jerry Apker’s article, page 12, current knowledge, and advance the fields of research, management, on changes in mountain lion hunter education requirements and and conservation. Specific areas of interest indicated by participants management policy in Colorado prompted by both hunter and ad- were, ranked from highest to lowest, science/research, management, vocacy groups). Reducing the risks felids may pose to people and conservation, education, and policy and socioeconomic impacts property, as well as understanding their positive economic impacts (tied). Most respondents favored the creation of a group that would (e.g., through and tourism) and other possible negative focus on all wild cats in the western hemisphere, not just mountain impacts (e.g., their effects on endangered or isolated prey popula- (Puma concolor). Respondents stressed a broader focus because tions) are also important concerns. it allowed for greater exposure to topics on related species that might provide strategies and ideas not otherwise considered. As a consequence, continued viability of wild felid populations and mitigation of human-wild felid conflicts demand interdisciplin- After the workshop and armed with these positive survey responses, ary cooperation and communication among researchers, managers, two Mountain Lion Workshop participants initiated a search for land-use planners, educators, conservationists, and members of the experienced individuals willing to participate in the establishment public. Because no professional association in the Western Hemi- of this new, professional association. In August 2006, the found- sphere provides a conduit for such cooperation and communica- ing WFA board met in Bainbridge, Washington, USA to begin tion, we formed the WFA to fill this role. developing the structure of the WFA. The interim WFA board members have varied backgrounds that include wildlife research, What the WFA offers present or former employment in state or federal wildlife agencies, The WFA’s objectives are to facilitate communication and col- and conservation NGOs (see picture). Together, we have struc- laboration across scientific disciplines and among agencies, non- tured the WFA to be a professional, non-advocacy organization of governmental organizations, universities, and other interested par- biologists, wildlife managers, wildlife educators, and others who ties. We promote research of the highest scientific and professional are dedicated to the management and conservation of wild felids in standards; sound stewardship of wild felids through science-based the Western Hemisphere through science-based management and knowledge of their populations and habitat; and public awareness education. The interim board developed a WFA mission statement and understanding of the status, ecology, conservation, and manage- and bylaws that are similar in structure to those of another pro- ment of wild felids. Through our newsletter, and increasingly our fessional organization, the International Research and Man- website, we will offer venues where researchers and managers can agement Association (IBA). Our bylaws can be found on our new website, www.wildfelid.org.

The need for the WFA To the question, “Do we need this organiza- tion?” our answer is a resounding “Yes!” Those involved in felid research, management, or con- servation are already aware of the important structural and functional roles felids play in wild . But managing and conserving wild felid populations poses significant challenges. For example, human population growth and activity impacts wild felid populations through direct mortality and indirectly through habitat loss and fragmentation. In the next 25 , the human population in the western U.S. alone is projected to increase by 36%; in Brazil (already with the largest human population in America) it will increase by 26%. Although an- nual population growth in Mexico has slowed to around 1% in the past 5 years, the popula- tion is slowly decentralizing, likely meaning more contact, and conflict, between people and wild felids. Climate change presents another WFA Founding Board from left: Gary Koehler, Chris Belden, John significant challenge to the management and Beecham, Hugh Robinson (front), Chris Papouchis, Rich DeSimone, Ron conservation of wild felids (see this issue’s cover Thompson, Sharon Negri, Donny Martorello (former director), Deanna article by John Seidensticker). Managers must Dawn, Linda Sweanor

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 3 Board News

(From the President, from page 3) Dedication communicate, share information, and find links to key resources, technologies and tools. The WFA also plans to provide counsel and advice on policy issues, translation of technical information This autumn we were forced to say goodbye to two esteemed into popular literature and other media, conferences, workshops, colleagues, Rocky Spencer and Eric York, who died in tragic and peer-reviewed proceedings, and scholarships and grants for circumstances doing what they loved most, studying and con- felid research, management and education. As a networking orga- serving wildlife. Both were skilled, passionate, and dedicated nization, the WFA intends to work with other science-based felid professionals and well-respected colleagues who each made associations to our mutual benefit and the benefit of wild felids. important contributions to the study and conservation of wild Similarities among species, as well as in the problems they face, are felids. This inaugural issue of the Wild Felid Monitor is dedi- clear. We can all learn from each other. cated to them. At the request of his family, memorial contributions for Rocky How you can get involved Spencer can be made to: Member involvement is paramount to making this association suc- cessful. Please consider becoming a member of the WFA. A mem- • Rocky Spencer Memorial Scholarship Fund, bership form and survey can be found on pages 25-26 of this issue. Foundation for Southwest Washington 1053 Officers Row Please be sure to fill out the survey and indicate in what areas you Vancouver, WA 98661 (360) 694-2550, www.cfsww.org, con- would be willing to assist or advise the WFA. The survey informa- tact Max Kamp (360) 577-9001, [email protected] tion will be placed in a database and allow the WFA to tap the • Rocky Spencer Memorial Fund, Wind River Bear Institute, knowledge and skills of its membership. For more information on PO Box 1299, Florence, MT 59833, www.beardogs.org how you can help the WFA please see page 28. • Western Washington University Foundation/Rocky Spencer Individuals that are interested in having an impact on this orga- Memorial, MS-9034, Western Washington University, 516 nization at this early stage and in maintaining the professional High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9842 of the organization are encouraged to join as members and http://rockyspencermemorial.org to run for office. The WFA will be composed of a voting member- At the request of his family, memorial contributions for Eric York ship; consequently, our status as board members is temporary. We can be made to: are currently searching for individuals interested in serving on the • Felidae Conservation Fund, 14 Cove Road, Belvedere, CA WFA board and hope to have an elected board in place starting 94920, www.felidaefund.org 2009. Details on board positions and duties, as well as on submit- ting nominations will be provided on the WFA web site. • The Wildlands Fund, Division of and Wildlife, attention Julie, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westboro, MA One of the best ways for members to contribute and communicate 01581 is through the Wild Felid Monitor. We encourage members to • Grand Canyon Association, attention Brad Wallace, P.O. submit timely articles and news items to the newsletter; submis- Box 399, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023, www.grandcanyon.org sion guidelines can be found on page 7 and on the WFA website. The newsletter is comprised of several sections including (but not limited to) feature articles, research updates, management actions, technology reviews, changes in species status, recent publications, grant opportunities, and upcoming events. Members are also encouraged to submit letters and opinions; these will be printed based on timeliness and space availability.

Please contact us with questions or comments about the news- letter at [email protected].

Individually we strive to improve our knowledge and management of wild felids. Imagine what we can accomplish as a team!

© Susan C. Morse 4 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 In Memory

Rocky Spencer - Friend and Colleague for Cougars

While capturing bighorn in the Yakima Canyon of Washington State, Rocky Spencer, a passionate and dedicated manager, researcher, and advocate for wildlife, was killed in an ac- cident during a helicopter flight. Rocky was employed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for almost three decades, and he and the pilot were considered the ‘best of the best’ he- licopter capture team in the Pacific Northwest. The team was a precision capture machine, as I discovered while working with them during research of American black in Washington. Rocky’s passion and dedication was keenly focused on cougars. He began studies of cougars nearly two decades ago, investigating their movements and use of space on the west slope of the Cascades. Recently, Rocky led a study in his Cascade Mountain backyard to investigate how cougars use habitats that were rapidly being transformed from rural woodlots to residential ha- vens. As part of a research and community outreach program known as Project CAT (Cougars and Teaching), Rocky led middle and high school students into their backyards to capture and mark cougars with GPS collars. Community members and newspaper and television reporters trailed as well, to witness and document these excursions. Rocky was a master teacher of students and of television audiences. His message was simple: we can live and recreate in cougar country if we understand cougars and man- age our own behavior as well as managing cougars. Those of us who have worked with cougars in the Western U.S. knew Rocky and his contributions. Rocky’s independent (ask those who supervised him) and innovative character helped tailor the Department’s message to effectively manage people and cougars to promote coexistence. Rocky was an advisor and mentor to all of us who cared about wildlife, and in particular those of us who cared about cougars and their management. He will be sorely missed. -- Gary M. Koehler, Wildlife Research Scientist , Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Remembering Eric York

It is very hard to write about Eric in the past tense, because I am so unwilling to admit he is not here. I know a lot of folks who feel the same. This is just not right. But we only get one chance to say our words about a departed friend, so I will do what others are doing and share why he meant what he did to so many of us. I met Eric at U-Mass in the late 1990s. We studied under the same professor, he doing his masters and me a Ph.D. I was a lot older than Eric, so I should have been able to teach the kid something. But it was the other way around from the start. The first thing he helped me with was building trap cameras for my and bear research in , something he and others had perfected for and other critters in Massachusetts. I could tell he wanted to go set the cameras himself in Mongolia, he had a serious itch to see places like that. My time with him at Amherst was brief and I headed back overseas. We ran into each other here and there, or emailed now and then, but it wasn’t until a mutual friend, Zara McDonald, suggested Eric as someone who could run our Credit: Felidae Conservation Fund collaring program in for us. I didn’t hesitate to jump on that idea, knowing we could find no one better. In Pakistan it was a lot like at U-Mass, this old snow leopard biologist was ready to give Eric some pointers. But it took about an hour for Eric to again become the teacher and he changed a lot of our methods, much for the better. He caught the cats with skill and compassion, and trained several Pakistani biologists in the process. He was a natural teacher. I think it was partly because Eric didn’t “do” wildlife biology, he lived it. Eric, my carhart-clad friend and teacher, I wasn’t done learning from you yet. We had some work (and hunting) to do. My trip to Grand Canyon got set back too long, for that I will always be sorry. The next cat is for you. Travel well my friend. -- Tom McCarthy, Science and Conservation Director, Snow Leopard Trust

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 5 Voices

(Wild Cats and climate change, from page 1) Unlike Way Kambas, the temperate deciduous and of found along the outer range of the Himalayas, in the the Russian Far East (RFE) are extensive. We have estimated there Shivalik Hills, and the associated narrow strips of lowland forests in is 269, 979 km² in the RFE-China Tiger Conservation Landscape the bhabar and the terai. This is a 49,000 km² Tiger Conservation (Dinerstein et al. 2006); the largest habitat patch is 183,237 km². The Landscape stretching 1000 km from Corbett National Park in area of land actually occupied by the remaining 500 or so Amur tigers to Chitwan National Park in Nepal (Dinerstein et al. 2006), parts of is about 160,000 km² (Miquelle et al. 1999). . Like Way Kambas, the which were so artfully described by Jim Corbett. region is severely threatened by wild fires that appear to peak during El Nino events, and are expected to intensify with global warming. As we have seen from these examples, depending on the species of Tatiana Loboda is modeling the “Impacts of climate and land use wild cat there will be loss of critical habitats and range fragmentations, change on wildfire frequencies and the Amur tiger” for her Ph.D. at contractions, and expansion resulting from climate change. We have the University of Maryland. This is one part of a major joint Univer- no choice but to learn to live with and work with these changes. I sus- sity of Maryland, University of Virginia, and Wildlife Conservation pect most wild cats will not fare well, but we know so little about most Society project funded by NASA. wild cat species that making predictions is speculation. I do think we can confidently predict that the domestic cat will be just fine. With global warming, scientists are finding Amur tigers living further north than they have in past (A. Kulikov, person comm. 2007). Ti- References gers adjust their range occupancy in response to that of their primary Dinerstein, E., et al. 2007. The fate of wild tigers. BioScience prey — , especially red deer, and wild pigs. The distributions of 57:508-514 deer and pigs and tigers is thought to be related to winter snow depth Franklin, N. 2002. Conservation Biology of the in (Miquelle 1999), which appears to be decreasing. Way Kambas National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia. PhD disserta- tion, University of York (UK). We find big cats moving north following the deer in . Miquelle., D. G., et al. 1999. Hieratical spatial analysis of Amur tiger Ramona Maraj, senior carnivore biologist for the Department relationships to habitat and prey. Pages 71-99 in J. Seidensticker, of Environment Yukon, tells me they are sighting cougars more often S. Christie, and P. Jackson, eds. Riding the Tiger: Tiger Conser- in the southern Yukon as they see increasing numbers of white-tailed vation in Human-dominated Landscapes. New York: Cambridge and responding to climate warming in the Yukon (person. University Press. comm. 2006). We expect Canada lynx to change their range in re- Stenseth, N. C., et al. 2005. Snow conditions may create an invisible sponse to warming climate. Nils Stenseth et al. (2004) modeled how barrier for lynx. PNAS 101:10632-10634 § differential snow conditions, such as surface hardness determined by the frequencies of warm spells, influenced lynx interactions with the hare. Variation in snow conditions are influenced by North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)-linked periodicity. Changes in the NAO in periodicity and intensity will alter spatial, ecological, and genetic structuring of the lynx population, Stenseth et al. (2004) predict.

The tigers living in the 10,000 km² Sundarbans forests will probably not survive the expected rise in sea level with global warming. This forest is the interface where the great riv- ers Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna join the Bay of Bengal. But the Sundarbans will also be negatively impacted by changes in glacier and snow melt in the Himalayas. Himalayan glaciers, only exceeded by the polar ice in volume, are of- ten called the water towers of the Ganges plain, are melting as a consequence of global warming. This is of course a concern for all the people living on the Ganges plain. It is also of great concern for those interested in the conservation of snow leopards, the cat of high altitude Himalaya and central . Changes in river hydrology with re- duced runoff will impact the forests and elephant (Guigna) (Oncifelis guigna) © Jim Sanderson 6 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 Board News

Learn about the WFA and meet the Board Seeking Submissions to May 5 in Sun Valley, at the the Wild Felid Monitor 9th Mountain Lion Workshop The Wild Felid Monitor strives to be a premier source of information on research, management and conservation of wild The WFA directors are meeting at the Sun Valley Inn on Monday, felids in the western hemisphere. Our success is dependent on May 5th, prior to the Mtn Lion Workshop (see announcement contributions from professionals like you. page 24.) At 3 PM we will be holding an informational meeting in the Columbine Room that is open to all persons interested in Please contact us with questions or comments about the learning more about and becoming involved in the WFA. Please newsletter at [email protected]. join us. The Wild Felid Monitor is currently soliciting letters, articles and other information for the 2nd issue, due out in Summer of 2008. Graduate Scholarship Opportunity Prospective contributors should consider, but not be limited to, Kaplan Awards Program - Foundation the following areas: • Perspectives on research, management and conservation of wild felids The Kaplan Awards Program is a scholarship program that sup- • Research updates and new projects ports the conservation efforts of young biologists working on wild • Technology and methodology reviews felids in situ. The Panthera Foundation encourages applications for projects on all wild cat species in all regions. Awards are for • Changes in management policies one year but may be extended to subsequent years, contingent • Species status upon performance and results. The Kaplan Awards Program is • Recent publications designed to support projects on wild cats with a conservation fo- • Grant opportunities cus and must include a significant in situ component. Applicants • Upcoming events MUST be post-graduates pursuing a higher degree (MSc. or PhD or equivalent). Next deadline: 1st March 2008 Submissions of about 750 words are preferred. Pictures, graphics and other illustrations Please consider the following restrictions before submitting your proposal: are always welcome. • Organizations are not eligible for funding. • Faculty and/or research advisors should not be listed as prin- cipal investigators unless they plan to carry out the majority of the field work. DEADLINE FOR SUMMER 2008 • The principal researcher must write the proposal: applications written on behalf of another individual will not be allowed. ISSUE IS MARCH 5, 2008!

Application and sample proposal available at Submissions and questions should be sent to: http://www.panthera-foundation.org Contact Information: [email protected] Nicole Williams or by mail Program Assistant, Great Cats Program Wildlife Conservation Society- International Wild Felid Monitor, WFA, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10460 PO Box 3335, Montrose, CO 81402-3335 Email: [email protected]

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 7 Board News The WFA’s Geographic Focus Wild Cats of the Western Hemisphere

Canada Lynx Lynx canadensis W: 5-18 kg Red List: LC

Bobcat Lynx rufus W: 4-19 kg Red List: LC

Puma Puma concolor W: 25 -80 kg Red List: LC pardalis W: 6.6-16 kg Red List: LC Jaguar Panthera onca W: 31-121 kg Red List: NT Leopardus wiedii W: 3-4 kg Red List: NT Leopardus tigrinus W: 1.5-2.8 kg Red List: NT Orealurus jacobitus Geoffrey’s Cat W: 4-5 kg Oncifelis geoffroyi Oncifelis colocolo Red List: End W: 1.7-3.7 kg W: 2.6-6.5 kg Red List: NT Red List: NT Kodkod Oncifelis guigna W: 1.5-2.8 kg Red List: V Herpailurus yagyarondi W: 3.5-7 kg Red List: LC

Sources: Sunquist and Sunquist. 2002. Wild Cats of the World. University of Chicago Press and IUCN Red List (see Sanderson page 9).

8 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 Voices

Prioritizing c onservation a c t i o n world’s wild cats [see Events page 6]. Participants divided into three groups representing biogeographic regions of the world: , the a n d f u n d i n g f o r t h e f e l i d a e Americas, and Eurasia.

Jim Sanderson: Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation The 2002 Red List is shown in Table 1. Those species in bold were IUCN Cat Specialist Group, [email protected] reassessed at the 2007 workshop to the next category of greater con- cern. Those species in italics were reassessed to a lesser threat category. n an ideal world more funding would be directed at those cats that Note that the was recently split into a mainland and Iare and less to those that are Least Concern. island (Borneo and Sumatra) species. Though each remained Vulner- Our world is less than ideal. able, the Bornean and Sumatran Clouded leopards are each Endan- gered. This is also true of several leopard and pampas cat . In 1994, the IUCN (World Conservation Union) Council adopted a repeatable system with measurable factors that could be applied by Together the 2002 and 2008 Red Lists show a very clear trend: cats in different experts for classifying species at high risk of extinction. The the Americas and Africa are doing relatively well compared to those IUCN is a union of states, government agencies, and non-government in Southeast Asia. Africa has no seriously endangered cats! The An- organizations concerned with species conservation. The IUCN Red dean cat remains the most threatened cat in the Americas and the List categories and criteria are used today to classify a broad range of only cat that is Endangered in our hemisphere. Remarkably, the di- . Political boundaries are ignored by wild animals minutive guigna (or kodkod), nearly a Chilean endemic, is the only and hence by the IUCN. All extant species and many subspecies of cat listed as Vulnerable in the Americas. The majority, 10 species, are cats are listed in order of conservation concern as Critically Endan- of lesser concern. The three cats found in the northern Americas are gered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, and Least Concern. all now Least Concern. The Red List aids in prioritizing conservation efforts (I know I am dreaming right). The Red List is presumed to be the guiding compass for global con- servation action. However, it is clear to even the most casual observer The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is one of six volunteer com- that far more funding goes into more charismatic species than into mittees of the IUCN. SSC’s mission is to “conserve biological diversity lesser known species, and rich nations invest far more on their own by developing and executing programmes to save, restore, and wisely species than they do on others in more need beyond their borders. For manage species and their habitats.” The IUCN SSC’s Cat Special- instance, one need only compare the extensive funding directed to ist Group is a group of scientists and educators considered to be the conserving tigers and snow leopards to that provided to the equally world’s leading wild cat authorities. Many volunteer their time and endangered Andean cat ($100 K/year) and the Bornean endemic bay expertise to update the Red List for cats. In September 2007, a two- cat ($10 K/year). Indeed, how can so many $M be invested in , day Red List workshop for the Felidae hosted by a local conservation the most common spotted cat in the Americas, or , while ab- organization WildCRU took place at Oxford University. Scientists solutely none is invested in the guigna that is more threatened and from all over the globe convened to assess the present status of all the has the smallest geographic range of any cat species? The (a specialist) is the most common Critically spotted cat in Asia and is easily seen in Endangered Vulnerable Near Threatened Least concern Endangered most oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia. Similarly, the , another rodent Andean cat > Geoffrey’s cat specialist, is very commonly observed in Asiatic golden cat > jaguar Canada lynx East Africa. In contrast the bay cat, found snow leopard black-footed cat only on Borneo, is known from just 28 tiger Pallas’ cat jaguarundi skins and camera trap photographs. The former are Least Concern while the bay oncilla (tigrina) cat is Endangered. I’ll leave it to you to see clouded leopard pampas cat leopard which are included to receive funding in < fishing cat puma > leopard cat the Great Cats and Rare Canids bill soon to come up for a vote in the US Congress. < flat-headed cat sand cat < margay guigna (kodkod) ocelot If conservation really is our shared re- lion serval sponsibility then it is incumbent upon us to ensure that scarce conservation re- sources reach those species most in need rusty-spotted cat no matter where they live or how big or small the cats are. Ask yourself just where Table 1. The 2002 Red list. Preliminary results of the 2008 workshop show species in bold and you stand. § italic were reassessed to a different category as indicated by the arrow.

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 9 Board News

o n f e r e n c e e p o r t C R Unfortunately, the latter often appears to have the stronger influence on research. Fe l i d Bi o l o g y a n d Conservation Co n f e r e n c e Some of the research presented at the conference will be profiled in an September 17 - 21, 2007, Oxford, England upcoming publication edited by David Macdonald which focuses on his past September, the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit felid research and ecology. This is a sister volume to the book Biology Tof Oxford University hosted the Felid Biology and Conserva- and Conservation of Wild Canids edited by Macdonald and Sillero- tion Conference. The meeting was a focused effort to bring together Zubiri (2004). researchers and others working to study and conserve wild felids around the world. In addition to presenting research results, the con- The meeting was sponsored by the Panthera Foundation and the ference created a unique forum for the exchange of ideas relating to IUCN Cat Specialist Group. The Panthera Foundation is a recently a single taxonomic family. Approximately 300 people attended, in- formed organization founded by philanthropist and Oxford gradu- cluding many of the world’s top felid researchers, as well as manag- ate Thomas Kaplan. The goal of the organization is to promote the ers, conservationists and other interested individuals. Following the conservation of wild felids through support of rigorous science based conference, individual IUCN workshops were held to update current research, planning and implementation of conservation action and information on the of the worlds 36 felid species protecting landscapes to help maintain contiguous populations. Over (see page 5). the past year, this foundation has awarded 30 scholarships to graduate students working on felid conservation projects (see page 4). The conference spanned 3 days and included concurrent sessions in general ecology, genetics, systematics & morphology, felids & people, The conference program and abstracts can be downloaded at behaviour, conservation & management, tools & methods, and up- http://www.carnivoreconservation.org/files/meetings/felids_2007_ox- dates from the field. Over 150 oral and poster presentations were de- ford.pdf livered by people from every continent where felids occur. The talks took place at Oxford University, many being presented in the Oxford – Deanna Dawn, [email protected] Museum of Natural History.

One universal theme was clear: Felids are in decline due in large part to conflict with humans. The conflicts noted includ- ed pet and livestock depredation, habitat loss and fragmenta- tion, indiscriminate poaching, accidental death and illegal harvest for trade in traditional Chinese medicine. Regulated was also discussed but tended to focus on com- mon African species (lion, leopard), or those from and North America (Eurasian lynx, puma).

A broad spectrum of research methods being used to study wild felids were discussed, and included radio-telemetry, pop- ulation viability analysis, GIS-based habitat modeling, human attitudes surveys, genetic profiling and track surveys. Notably, the use of camera trapping (either alone or in conjunction with other methods) has become widespread, and presenters high- lighted its value for studying Sumatran tigers, clouded leop- ards, snow leopards, ocelots and jaguars, to name a few species. Less well known methods were also discussed, such as the use of for monitoring Amur tiger populations.

The various challenges inherent in felid research were also discussed. The lack of sufficient and appropriate funding was repeatedly cited as a significant hindrance to research and conservation efforts. Lack of public understanding regarding critical issues in felid conservation was also noted, as were an- thropogenic factors that indirectly affect research efforts, such as poaching. As WildCru’s Andrew Loveridge pointed out, humans have a seemingly ambiguous relationship with many Participants at Felid Biology and Conservation Conference felid species that covers the gamut from reverence to disdain. Credit: Andrew Harrington

10 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 Board News

o n f e r e n c e e p o r t C R Information System mapping of lynx range and dispersal patterns, and genetic investigations of their populations’ promises for a better Ca n a d a Ly n x o n t h e Bo r d e r : Bi o l o g i c a l a n d understanding of landscape connectivity and population relation- Po l i t i c a l Re a l i t i e s f o r Conservation Pl a n n i n g ships needed to manage these border populations.

October 24 to 27, 2007 More information on workshop presentations and participants can Grand Portage, , USA be obtained @ http://www.nrri.umn.edu/lynx or by contacting Ron Moen ([email protected]) at the Center for Water and Environ- he management and conservation of most wild felid species is ment, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Tcomplicated by the fact that few reside solely within a single na- Duluth, MN. tional jurisdiction. This is true for the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). Occupying the boreal forests of North America the distribution of – Gary Koehler, [email protected] lynx not only straddles the borders of states and provinces, but the international border of Canada and United States. In the contigu- ous United States the lynx is federally listed as Threatened, while in Ma n a g e m e n t Ne w s and Canada they are managed mostly as a renewable resource and are trapped for their pelts. Trapping in Maine restricted to protect threatened Canada lynx A workshop “Canada Lynx on the Border: Biological and Political Realities for Conservation Planning”, gathered researchers, managers, A federal lawsuit in Maine aimed at protecting threatened Canada conservationists, and forest industry representatives from Canada lynx has ended in a settlement in which Maine’s Department of and the lynx range in the U.S. to discuss aspects of trans-border man- Inland Fisheries & Wildlife signed a consent decree to restrict agement and conservation of lynx. As a first step, the workshop pre- trapping in the northern part of the state. The suit, brought by the sented a venue for participants to share concerns and research find- Protection Institute, argued that the state was liable under ings on lynx behavior and demography, their prey and habitat. The the Act for allowing trappers to use traps that workshop was supported by the Minnesota Department of Natural take and sometimes kill lynx in traps sets intended for other species. Resources, Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Grand Portage The Portland Press Herald (Oct 5, 2007) reported that, according Indian Reservation, and Grand Portage National Monument. to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 34 lynx have been caught by trappers in Maine since 1999, including 25 since 2004. Of these, 2 Changing resource demands and forest management practices as lynx have died. well as projections of global climate and economic changes sets an uncertain stage for the future of lynx in the southern portions of their The settlement came after a hearing in which the presiding judge range. State of the art tools, including Global Positioning Satellite col- appeared to be weighing in favor of the plaintiff, saying “I don’t think lars for monitoring lynx movements and use of habitats, Geographic anyone here is accusing anybody of deliberately trapping lynx, but if trappers are going out ... and they accidentally or inadvertently take lynx, then that is a violation of the Endangered Species Act.”

In the consent decree, the state agreed to: • Ban foothold or leghold traps with jaws that open more than 53/8 inches in core lynx habitat. • Require killer-type (Conibear) traps used in core lynx habitat to be set at least 4 ft above ground or snow level, and be affixed to a pole or tree that is at an angle of 45 degrees or greater to the ground and that is no greater than 4 in diameter at 4 ft above the ground or snow level. • Restrict the use of cage traps in core lynx habitat; exception is made for wildlife research and survey activities. • Monitor and report cases of trapped lynx, and rehabilitate injured lynx.

The department passed an emergency rule to make the changes effective for the trapping season that started in October. Gary Koehler studying Canada lynx Credit: Gary Koehler

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 11 Management News

COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE Mo u n t a i n l i o n m a n a g e m e n t a n d To understand the genesis Mountain Lion Education of this education effort, we and Identification Course h u n t e r e d u c a t i o n i n Co l o r a d o must look at some manage- ment history. Since the Jerry A. Apker, Carnivore Biologist, Colorado Division of Wildlife, late 1970s either-sex lion [email protected] licenses have been avail- Commencing with the 2007-2008 mountain lion (Puma concolor) able to hunters in unlim- hunting season all Colorado mountain lion hunters must take the ited numbers, but harvest Mountain Lion Education and Identification Course and pass an amounts are restricted by attendant exam. The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW)’s a quota within geographic primary goal in implementing this requirement is to reduce hunting areas called game manage- mortality on female mountain lions in areas where the management ment units (GMUs). This objective is to maintain a stable or growing mountain lion population. system optimizes hunter

A secondary goal, as a social consideration, is to hold mountain lion opportunity while con- COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE 6060 Broadway • Denver CO 80216 hunters to a high standard of knowledge regarding their quarry. The straining hunting mortal- (303) 297-1192 • www.wildlife.state.co.us course and exam are available on CDOW’s website at http://wildlife. ity. Colorado lion quotas state.co.us/Hunting/HunterEducation/MtnLionEduc. rose gradually from 1980 through 1986, then more rapidly through the 1990s to a peak of 794 in 1999 before leveling out at 790 from 2001 Development of the course and exam was a collaborative process with through 2004 (Fig. 1). agency managers, scientists, and advocacy groups. The course covers information on lion biology, physiology, and behavior; reasons for Until 2001 CDOW did not have defined management plans for lion determining lion gender during a hunt; distinguishing male from Data Analysis Units (DAUs), which encompass several GMUs, and female lions; CDOW lion management objectives; Colorado laws therefore did not have defined goals or objectives for hunt and non- and regulations pertaining to lion hunting; and making informed hunt mortality. As originally conceived, quotas may have represented choices. desired harvest objectives, but absent well-defined management plans what quotas represented was likewise not well defined. It was a maxi- While the course and exam are directed towards lion hunters, any- mum harvest limit, but it had become so high that it would rarely one can participate. Hunters taking the exam are prompted to enter be filled in almost all GMUs, mostly due to hunting conditions such identifying information and upon completing the exam with a pass- as snow cover, winter access conditions, and availability of hounds- ing score, the CDOW database automatically updates their record. A men. Consequently, lion hunting in Colorado in most cases was not numbered certificate can be printed as back up documentation. The limited by quotas. CDOW licensing system blocks the sale of a mountain lion license if the purchaser has not passed the exam. Non-hunter citizens may take Without a clear expression of what quotas represented, interest groups the course and exam and if they pass they may print a non-numbered formed their own definitions, with most perceiving it as CDOW’s certificate. desired harvest level. Looking at annual harvests in relation to this interpretation, most interest groups concluded that CDOW’s lion 900 management was failing, but for very different reasons. Generally, 800 environmental and species advocacy interests sensed failure because they believed the quota, being a desired harvest level, was too high Female harvest 700 and biologically indefensible. Conversely, traditional consumptive Male harvest 600 interests generally concluded that CDOW was far missing the mark Harvest quota and under-harvesting an available resource. 500

400 By 2002, internal interest in closely examining our lion management approaches reached an apex and fit well with increasing scrutiny of 300 CDOW lion management by external interest groups. Persistently

200 rising hunter harvest coupled with increasing quotas (Fig. 1) and an increasing trend in the percentage of females in hunter harvest (Fig. 2)

100 available throughout the 1990s fueled a spectrum of interest groups to become 1984 - 1987 Only harvest data 0 more attentive to lion management issues. Agency personnel, hunt- 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 ing interests, and species advocacy interests were concerned about the consequences to lion populations and lion hunting in the face of the Figure 1. Mountain lion hunting quotas and number of male foregoing information. Houndsmen and hunters pressed the agency and female mountain lions in Colorado hunting mortality, to more aggressively defend lion hunting, often citing their sense that 1980 through 2007 hunting seasons. the agency failed to defend their interests when citizen initiatives 12 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 Management News

60% Ca n a d a l y n x r e i n t r o d u c t i o n i n Co l o r a d o : 50% An u p d a t e

40% Tanya Shenk, Wildlife Researcher, Colorado Division of Wildlife, [email protected] 30% Rick Kahn, Wildlife Biologist, CDOW, [email protected]

20% 1987 The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) began planning the - lynx reintroduction program in 1997; lynx from Alaska and Canada 1984 10% were released in Colorado’s southern mountains starting in 1999.

Only harvest data available Most lynx were fitted with radio telemetry collars. A total of 218

0% lynx have been reintroduced and have produced at least 116 lynx kit- 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 tens in Colorado: 16 kittens in 2003; 39 kittens in 2004; 50 kittens in 2005; 11 kittens in 2006; 0 kittens in 2007. Trapping operations Figure 2. Percent females in Colorado mountain lion hunting mortal- during winter 2006-07 indicated that adult animals were in good ity, 1980 through 2007 hunting seasons. physical condition but that kitten survival was low. No lynx releases occurred in 2007 or are planned for 2008 because of the low repro- arose regarding trapping and black bear hunting in the preceding duction rates in 2006 and 2007. CDOW biologists estimate that decade. Environmental advocacy groups pressed the agency to have approximately 125 cats are presently alive. a more credible scientific basis to justify management decisions and pressed a public campaign based mostly on emotional appeals about CDOW biologists and researchers believe that the recent lack of offspring orphaned by sport hunters seeking trophies. lynx reproduction is most likely due to a decline in numbers. A decline in the number of snowshoe hares might be part This growing interest led to an effort to revise, update, and bolster of a natural cycle in hare abundance. However, no formal studies lion DAU plans. In 2004, the revision process was conducted in a have been conducted to determine if snowshoe hare populations collaborative manner with hunting and environmental interests. fluctuate in Colorado. To learn more about hare ecology, the agency Through public workshops, soliciting comments, and using internet started a study in early 2006. Initial results will be available this fall. mechanisms, CDOW paid close attention to concerns and interests Rick Kahn, lead biologist for the reintroduction effort, is hopeful of diverse groups, avoiding disenfranchisement of any group. Con- that the current lynx population is large enough to withstand a fronted with management of a species for which there is little cred- lack of reproduction for 2-3 years. The agency will continue their ible and timely information about population status and trend, the intensive monitoring efforts and data analysis and wait to see what DAU revisions emphasized a relatively conservative approach. happens next year.

Three outcomes of the DAU revisions include: The lynx reintroduction program is funded by the CDOW, private • New DAU plans, with defined goals and objectives. donations and Great Outdoors Colorado which receives its funding • Quota reductions. “quota” has been dropped in favor of “harvest through the Colorado State Lottery. limit” to more accurately reflect that these are the maximum amount of harvest that CDOW considers tolerable in any single Find out more on CDOW website at http://wildlife.state.co.us year. In contrast, harvest objectives are the level of annual take considered sustainable by CDOW. • Female mortality reductions. With support from houndsmen and Sinapu believed that voluntary hunter efforts to reduce female and outfitters, beginning in 2005 CDOW asked lion hunters to harvest would likely succeed, the two interest groups also sought a so- refrain from taking female lions in DAUs managed for a stable cial outcome. For environmental groups, the education requirement or increasing population. Colorado lion hunters responded acknowledges the mountain lions’ special status as a top carnivore. For positively, reducing female harvests from 44% on average hunter/outfitter groups, the requirement demonstrates a willingness (2000-2004) to 36% on average (2005-’06/’07) (Fig. 2). to contribute to a high standard of management, dedication to their sport and the animal they pursue, and is an important defense of lion Although management changes were generally well accepted, some hunting. constituents did not feel that voluntary efforts to reduce female harvest went far enough. In late 2005, Sinapu (a species advocacy The education requirement has not changed our approach toward group) and the Colorado Outfitters Association (a hunter services voluntary efforts to reduce female lion mortality. We continue to ask group) petitioned the Wildlife Commission to establish a required hunters to refrain from killing females, but we also leave this an indi- lion hunter education course. After deliberation, the Wildlife Com- vidual choice. We believe that the education requirement will aid us in mission directed agency staff to develop a required education course, achieving our management goals and serves constituent goals as well. § available via the internet. While CDOW staff, Colorado Outfitters,

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 13 Notes From The Field

Pr e d i c t i n g t h e e ff e c t s o f f o r e s t and this work was recently published in Journal of Wildlife Manage- ment (2007) [see page 18]. In addition, we studied lynx den-site selec- m a n a g e m e n t o n l y n x p o p u l a t i o n s tion as a hierarchical process based on 59 dens from 19 females that we located in western . We considered den selection at 3 spatial John R. Squires, Wildlife Research Biologist, scales including the den site, den stand, and den landscape (1 km ra- Rocky Mtn. Res. Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, P. O. Box dius surrounding dens) and these results were also recently published 8089 Missoula, MT 59807 (406) 542-4164, [email protected] in JWM (2007). Locating dens with young kittens also allowed us to document productivity that we are now using to model population ynx are quintessential snowshoe hare predators with morpho- viability. Other recently published topics include: seasonal changes in Llogical adaptations such as large paws, long legs and light bone lynx activity patterns; food habits and prey selection; and the efficacy structure for hunting in deep snow. This species depends on boreal of using snow-track data to delineate locally lynx distributions. forests, so the listing of Canada Lynx as a Threatened species is a ma- jor conservation issue to forest managers. The Although fine-scale understandings of habi- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that hu- tat use are vitally important to conserva- man alteration of forest abundance, composi- tion, they are not sufficient; we also need to tion, and connectivity was the most influential understand how human actions may affect factor affecting lynx habitat (Federal Register broad-scale movements/connectivity and 63(130):36994-37013). Yet, we do not understand habitat sustainability. By the end of this how forest structure and landscape pattern im- summer (2007), we expect to obtain about pact the ecology of southern lynx populations. 70-90,000 highly-accurate (<35 m error) Thus, land managers lack the empirical basis for GPS relocations from 16 lynx from our 3 predicting the positive and negative effects of study areas. We programmed the collars forest management on lynx populations. to delineate movement paths that extend across 24-hr day cycles, both winter and In 1998, the USFS Rocky Mountain Re- summer. We are using these data to build Credit: Western Montana Lynx Study - search Station initiated research at Seeley empirical models that predict how lynx tra- USFS Rocky Mtn. Research Station Lake, Montana that was designed to address verse landscapes relative to habitat features. these pressing information needs. In 2002, We hope this information will help highway we expanded our study areas to include the Garnet Range. We then planners maintain population connectivity across western Montana. added the Purcell Mountains north of Libby, Montana as third study We are also using GPS data to delineate habitat-use polygons that area in 2003 (Fig. 1). To date, we have radio collared 114 lynx on all represent a continuum (low–high use) of lynx use across broad land- study areas combined. scapes. This summer, we started to quantify vegetation and landscape characteristics at each polygon, so that we can then use silvicultural Our research topics have changed through the models to project forest development through years as we accomplished old objectives and time. Thus, the goal of this research is to deter- identify new research needs and questions. mine how to sustain lynx habitat across broad We initially used conventional telemetry to landscapes for the long-term within a multi-use study seasonal movements and habitat-use management context. patterns of lynx relative to vegetation struc- ture, forest management, human disturbance, Studying lynx ecology is difficult and expensive. and prey abundance within forest stands. This The continued success of our program is due to involved back-tracking radio collared lynx for our many partnerships with state/federal agen- over 600 km during the winter to precisely cies and industry. Initial financial support was plot their movements relative to habitat fea- provided almost exclusively by the Wildlife tures. We also use radio telemetry to docu- Ecology Unit of the Rocky Mountain Research ment summer habitat-use patterns in order to Station located in Missoula, MT. However, this understand seasonal changes in habitat-use. work has continued due to the contributions of the following important partners: Clearwater In 2002, Jay Kolbe, as part of his graduate re- National Forest and Region 1 of the U. S. Forest search at the University of Montana, studied Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the the effect of packed snow corridors on the Federal Highway Administration, the Idaho competitive interactions between and Department of Transportation, Plum Creek lynx on the Seeley study area. This research Figure 1. Location of lynx study areas in Timber Company, Game and Fish was instrumental in helping agencies to ad- western Montana, 1999–2006 Department, the University of Montana, and dress winter recreation in management plans, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. §

14 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 Notes From The Field

Pr o j e c t o Pu m a : St u d y i n g a n d its initial scope and actions, with the aim of promoting conser- c o n s e r v i n g p u m a a n d j a g u a r i n vation based on sound science. Br a z i l Since then, research focus has been on determinants of puma and jaguar distribution in south- Marcelo Mazzioli, Projecto Puma, R. Cristiano Brascher, 2080, ern Brazil. Two main projects are Bairro Sta Helena, 88504-301 Lages – SC BRAZIL currently being undertaken, one [email protected] in the tablelands that resulted in a preliminarily comparison of rojecto Puma was born as a research project in 1988 from the need mammalian assemblages from to investigate the sudden livestock depredation that had been re- different land use systems, and Figure 2. Logo of the volunteer P expedition initiative, stating ‘un- peatedly reported, but so far unchecked, by environmental agencies in one in the coastal rainforest, aim- tamed program’ at the southern Brazil. Apparently the ‘timber cycle’ of native forest extrac- ing to maintain and restore relict top tion from 1940 to 1980 had left deep scars in the land, a legacy that populations of jaguars. We found included local extinctions and retraction of wildlife to a few secure puma to be quite persistent and still widespread in the tablelands and refuges. After that, it was acknowledged by the government that the able to survive in large-scale, private landscapes that are covered with Atlantic Forest was one of the most endangered forests in the world, as little as 10% of native forest intermingled either with native grass- and it finally received full protection status that is still in effect. -Al lands or with exotic forest plantations. A loss of environmental integ- though not officially monitored, a wildlife comeback was witnessed rity had taken place anyway — such as the giant-anteater, in some of the areas that had not been urbanized. Puma, which had the maned-, the tapir, and the white-lipped peccary are isolated been virtually absent from the extensive native grasslands of southern and scattered in few remaining refugia. Reduction in the availability Brazilian tablelands, found the occupied by herds of sheep of prey, landscape modifications, and active persecution have caused numbering in the hundreds. Sheep herds very soon were reduced to the decline of the Atlantic Forest jaguar, which today may be consid- what could fit in corrals during the night, a measure that guaranteed ered severely threatened with extinction (Fig. 1). a fairly sustainable business—today herds are not found grazing unat- tended as they were in the past. Apparently we witnessed risk-avoid- Projecto Puma has initiated volunteer research expeditions to the ance behaviour, as puma would continually attack an unattended coast forest with the support of Biosphere Expeditions, and has cre- herd for several days or even weeks, while corralled livestock were ated a network of information on puma and jaguar presence in the only occasionally taken. Other evidence of risk-aversion was obtained area. The initiative designed a logo (Fig. 2), and published its first re- from the higher frequency of puma approaching households during port in which jaguar and puma habitats were preliminarily evaluated periods of intense drizzle and fog conditions. (available for download on the website). The expedition recorded a reduced availability of prey for the large cats, We inferred that the risk and fear of at- and identified that illegal harvesting of palm tacking a herd near a household would heart needed to be restrained for wildlife only be counterweighted by a stronger restoration. Harvesters act illegally, poach- force stemming from a reduction in prey ing while remaining in the forest for several availability in the environment. The fact days until a sizable crop is collected. Today that most attacks to livestock occurred Projecto Puma is searching for international during winter, when prey availability partnerships to establish a sustainable, much was lower, corroborated this hypothesis. more profitable, and legal harvest of açaí fruit These useful findings were incorporated from the same palm tree. This will guarantee in guidelines for environmental restora- that harvesters, whose practice is currently il- tion. Also during our research the puma’s legal, participate in the construction of a new spreading distribution was recorded in history of conservation success. The partici- ‘real time’ from depredation incidents, pation of volunteers in the research project which were gradually reaching areas that was so gratifying that new jaguar expeditions had not had such incidents before. Today to Brazil will take place and expeditions ad- there is a community-based partnership dressing conservation needs of the last of the to provide technical assistance to reduce Figure 1. Jaguars in Brazil’s Atlantic Coast Forest are island tigers in Sumatra are being planned in livestock losses and also to reduce illegal isolated by several hundred kilometers from conti- partnership with local Indonesian institu- harvesting of puma. nental populations. Continental range roughly drawn tions. § from Sanderson et al. (2002); Map, but not jaguar range, slightly modified from Leite & Galvão (2002). In 1993, Projecto Puma became a non- On the web: http://uniplac.net/~puma/ profit organization as a means to broaden

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 15 Notes From The Field

Pr o j e c t CAT: a n e x p e r i m e n t i n John Pierce, Chief Scientist with the Wildlife Program at Washing- ton Department of Fish and Wildlife, saw Project CAT as an op- s c i e n c e a n d e d u c a t i o n portunity to understand how wildlife, particularly cougars, might respond to the changes on their landscape brought by residential and Gary M. Koehler, Wildlife Research Scientist, Washington Depart- recreational development. What we could glean from such an inves- ment of Fish and Wildlife, [email protected] tigation could help to craft strategies to perhaps minimize conflicts between cougars and humans in other areas of the state. John also n experiment in science and education is taking place in Project saw an opportunity for a state agency to involve local communities ACAT (Cougars and Teaching), a marriage of dedicated public as “citizen scientists”, training an army of volunteers to help collect school educators and agency scientists. The stage is rural Cle Elum scientific data to aid managers. on the eastern slope of the in Washington. This is where teachers who wished to expose students to the wonders of their As Principle Investigator, I was to collaborate with the School District backyards, of which cougars were a part, and the intrigue and objec- and Cle Elum community and conduct the science. I was somewhat tive discovery of the scientific process merged with the Washington apprehensive about this charge, wondering “Wow, how am I going to Department of Fish and Wildlife’s desire to investigate how the states pull this off? Can you really do science with a bunch of kids in tow?” changing human demography, with 1 million new residents per de- But science is a process of learning, why not involve students as lab cade, and rural development would affect wildlife and the potential partners to understand how cougars are adapting to these landscapes for conflicts, particularly withPuma concolor. and social changes?

Less than 90 miles and a timely commute to the working hub of Se- Six years into Project CAT we discovered cougars were indeed neigh- attle, new residents are attracted to Cle Elum’s rural atmosphere and bors in this community. More than 150 students, teachers, and com- touch of wilderness with elk, deer, and bears as neighbors. The land- munity members have participated in capturing and marking these scape is in transformation from a logging and mining community to elusive neighbors, inspecting their dens, counting kittens, investi- a residential Valhalla: sunny skies, snowy peaks, forests, clear gating more than 250 sites, conducting necropsies of dead streams, wild animals, a new world class golf course, and unlimited cougars and reconstructing their skeleton, and learning about cougar outdoor recreational opportunities. habitat and movements from more than 25,000 locations collected from 25 cougars Evelyn Nelson, past Superintendent of fitted with GPS collars. the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District and passionate educator, sought was to engage Students have become the science ambas- students in learning science and becoming sadors and educators to the community; participants in the community’s dialogue sharing their experiences and knowledge during their rural-urban transition. Engag- through ecological dioramas in their school ing students was the challenge. Evelyn’s ru- hallways to PowerPoint presentations at ral childhood science tutor was her father, a community service clubs and town meet- cougar bounty hunter during the 1940s and ings, as well as international conferences. 1950s. Her father’s catch became an anatomy, behavior, and ecology laboratory. This edu- Is Project CAT a success? As a scientific cation imprinted on Evelyn the importance Credit: Gary Koehler investigation, tracking cougars fitted with of ‘hands-on learning’ for engaging students, GPS collars is revealing how cougars are which became the conceptual foundation for Project CAT. Cle Elum- adapting to changes on their landscape. As an education tool students Roslyn School students were to learn about their backyard, and the experience the curiosity that drives scientific inquiry and the thrill deer, elk, and cougars that reside there, and meld this natural history of capturing and unraveling the life of these elusive predators. As an knowledge with the social and political issues that development was outreach experiment students have kept their families and commu- bringing to their community. nity updated on the day-to-day activities of the cougars as well as the research team and, I believe, helped integrate our team into the com- Margaret Tudor and Lynne Ferguson, educators and founders of the munity where we would not be perceived as suspicious outsiders. Pacific Education Institute, saw Project CAT as an opportunity for teachers to design a customized curriculum plan, using available re- Including students into the research effort does require extra plan- sources, where field studies and the ‘hands-on learning’ would be the ning and may at times slow our field activities, but it is outweighed norm, not an educational treat. They worked to integrate the various by their service as community ambassadors and educators. We have aspects of Project CAT’s activities into classrooms from kindergarten discovered that yes indeed cougars and other wildlife can and do to senior high, from art to science, building student’s outdoor inquiry coexist within the community. Perhaps in the future it will be these skills through The NatureMapping Program with Project Learning students who as adults will investigate, deliberate, and decide on the Tree, Project WILD and Project WET. policies that affect their community and their wildlife neighbors as their community continues to change. §

16 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 Notes From The Field

Th e Bo r d e r l a n d s Ja g u a r behavioral interactions (McCain In Review). From the time of the De t e c t i o n Pr o j e c t : An In t r o 1996 Boboquiviri jaguar sighting, we have maintained tight collabo- Jack Childs, Project Coordinator, BJDP, [email protected] ration and sharing of information Emil Mc Cain, Project Biologist, BJDP, [email protected] with local landowners and local, state and federal land and wildlife The jaguar Panthera( onca) is perhaps the most majestic, captivating, management agencies through the and intriguing, wild animal in the United States, where it occurs only integrative Arizona- in southern Arizona and extreme southwestern New Mexico. The jag- Jaguar Conservation Team in its uar may also be the least understood Endangered Species in the U.S., pioneering approach to managing and remains virtually unstudied in the northern extent of its range. for the conservation of an En- Land and wildlife managers of the region desperately need informa- dangered Species at the local and tion on the current status, distribution, and habitat requirements of state level. So far, this project has the northernmost jaguar population in the Borderlands Region. documented two adult males and a possible third unidentified jag- uar with 69 photographs and 28 sets of tracks. One jaguar, originally A resident jaguar population in Arizona is evident from the time of photographed in 1996, was re-sighted 64 times during 2004-2007. the earliest writings about the Southwest through the mid 1900s. This ≥13 year old male occupied two mountain complexes, covering a Western expansion and predator control practices that came with a minimum observed “range” of 1359 km2. Despite previous beliefs that growing livestock industry greatly reduced or eliminated remaining recent jaguars in the U.S. were dispersing transients on rare sporadic populations, and the species was considered extirpated from the re- forays from Mexico, we documented jaguars in Arizona frequently, gion by the 1972 establishment of the Endangered Species Act, which continuously and year-round and videotaped scent marking 76 km did not protect the jaguar in the U.S. However, jaguar sightings (con- north of the U.S./Mexico border. Combined, these data indicate the firmed by photographs or carcass remains) in 1971, 1986, and especial- residency of adult jaguars within Arizona. ly two in 1996 drew considerable attention, and in 1997 the species was added to the Endangered Species list. Continued sightings since The past successes of the project have begun to shape a new under- 2001 confirm a need for more information on the current population standing of the jaguar at the arid northern extent of its range and status to help determine appropriate conservation strategies. outlined key conservation concerns for the species in the Borderlands Region (McCain and Childs In review). Our findings suggest the per- The 57 historic jaguar records from Arizona not only indicate that a sistence of a thinly distributed and wide-ranging jaguar population breeding population persisted at least into the 1940’s (McCain and over the bioregional area from southern Arizona and New Mexico Childs In Review), but these records have also been used to map areas south through the mountains of eastern Sonora. The identification of known jaguar occurrences and model potentially suitable jaguar of core and connective habitats, including cross-border linkages, is es- habitats in Arizona (Boydston and Lopez Gonzalez 2005, Hatten et sential for conservation actions to sustain this population. al. 2005). Roughly 30% of Arizona, primarily the mountains in the southeastern corner, appears to contain the characteristics of poten- The methodologies used and the abilities of the project personnel have tial jaguar habitat. While these maps show the most probable areas been developed over the past six years, and we now propose to expand for jaguars to occur, they fail to determine the current status and true our research in duration and geographic coverage to comprehensively distribution, and therefore are limited in their contribution to appro- survey for the current status and distribution of jaguars across the priate management and conservation efforts (Hatten et al. 2005). Borderlands Region of southern Arizona. We have effectively sur- veyed approximately 12% of the areas identified as potentially suitable The Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project is a grassroots organization jaguar habitat in Arizona (Boydston and Lopez Gonzalez 2005, Hat- dedicated to the research and conservation of the jaguar in the Bor- ten et al. 2005) and we have confirmed current jaguar presence in 2 of derlands Region and remains the only field research project on wild the 3 mountain range complexes surveyed. Five additional mountain jaguars in the US. Following the recommendations of jaguar conserva- ranges of potentially suitable jaguar habitat in southern Arizona have tion champion, Dr. (1997), we initiated a non-inva- never been systematically surveyed for jaguars. sive study designed to monitor jaguars in the remote mountains along the border between southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico For more information on the project visit http://www.borderjag.org/ using trail cameras, and track/scat surveys. The project was founded in 2001 by lifelong Arizona outdoorsman, renowned tracker and References wildlife author, Jack Childs, and expanded upon by wildlife biologist Boydston, E. E., and C. A. Lopez Gonzalez. 2005. Sexual Differentia- Emil McCain and tracker Janay Brun. Together we have maintained tion in the Distribution Potential of Northern Jaguars (Panthera continuous monitoring of 9-44 cameras and track/scat transects onca). USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-36. from 2001-2007 and collected over 17,000 photographs of Arizona Hatten, J. R., A. Averill-Murray, and W. E. Van Pelt. 2003. Character- wildlife species, yielding valuable information on jaguars as well as 24 izing and Mapping Potential Jaguar Habitat in Arizona. Arizona other species of native wildlife including exciting new predator/prey Game and Fish Department. §

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 17 Notes from the Field

Co u g a r r e s e a r c h i n Al b e r t a

Kyle Knopff, PhD Candidate, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, [email protected]

t is an exciting time to be conducting cougar research in North IAmerica. In the four decades since Maurice Hornocker undertook his pioneering work in the Idaho Primitive Area, a substantial litera- ture on cougar behaviour, ecology, conservation, and management has been developed. Over the last ten years, almost every state and province with a viable cougar population has housed at least one large scale radio-telemetry study of cougar; many have had more than one. This has resulted in the publication of plethora of books, articles and reports that are of high scientific value. Indeed, in 2006 and 2007 alone there have been >40 articles on the genetics, habitat Kyle and Aliah Knopff , Credit: Kyle Knopff selection, disease ecology, predator-prey interactions, population dynamics, and conservation of Puma concolor published in the peer- oil and gas) and business is currently very good. Industrial deforesta- reviewed literature. All this research provides a fantastic knowledge tion is occurring on a large scale and there are two hypotheses about base to help guide wildlife managers and students alike and helps to how this might affect cougar. The first suggests that because cougar focus future research efforts. The sheer volume of new information, avoid open habitats and have poor hunting success where there is however, makes it difficult to keep up with advancements, particu- little cover, deforestation will reduce the total amount of available larly in the case of ongoing and as yet unpublished efforts. The forum habitat and negatively impact cougar populations. The second sug- provided by The Wild Felid Monitor is an excellent place for stu- gests that deforestation benefits many populations of prey, dents to describe their studies and inform others about their research ultimately translating into larger cougar populations. Using data on objectives without having to wait for final results to be published in habitat selection, predation rates, and kill-site selection, we hope to journals. Understanding what other researchers are doing is impor- identify which hypothesis is most accurate. tant, especially if we are to take advantage of new information and techniques, or opportunities for collaborative efforts that can help Finally, as Alberta’s population continues to grow in response to the produce stronger inferences about cougar ecology. In this brief re- booming economy, traditional cougar habitat is increasingly becom- port, I describe the objectives of some new research that is currently ing dominated by human residential and recreational activities. This ongoing in Alberta, Canada. is a familiar theme throughout western North America and the con- servation of cougars and other large carnivores will require both an The Central East Slopes Cougar Study, run by the author and Aliah understanding of cougar ecology in human dominated landscapes Knopff and supervised by Dr. Mark Boyce at the University of Al- and also of human tolerance thresholds for cougar. To address both berta, intends to address several important issues with respect to of these issues in Alberta, we are obtaining habitat selection and pre- cougar conservation and management in Alberta. One of the study’s dation data for cougar living in human dominated landscapes (towns, primary objectives is to provide improved information on cougar acreages, and working ranches) and are also surveying the opinions interactions with prey in diverse multi-predator, multi-prey systems. of residents with respect to cougar. Predator management is becoming an increasingly important issue in Alberta. Most caribou herds and also certain and Fieldwork for this project began in December 2005. Our study area elk populations in the province are below target levels, in some cases is located on public lands east of and contains approaching . Predation has been identified as the an incredible diversity of large carnivores and (, cou- primary proximate cause of decline in many of these cases. Wolves gar, black bear, grizzly bear, white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, were initially viewed as the primary predator responsible, but recent- bighorn sheep, feral horses, mountain , and caribou are all pres- ly attention has focused more on the entire guild of top predators, ent). It also contains a wide gradient in the intensity of industrial including cougar. Consequently, we are attempting to obtain a better activity and in the intensity of residential development. Over the last understanding of cougar predation patterns in diverse large two years we have captured and GPS radiocollared 29 independent communities with a particular emphasis on developing predictive cougar from across the study area and expect to collar 10-15 more in models of prey selection, seasonality of diet, and cougar numerical our final capture season this coming winter. GPS collar technology and functional responses to aid provincial wildlife managers in their allows us to monitor habitat selection intensively regardless of season efforts to maintain viable populations of both predators and prey. or the location of the cougar’s . Using on the ground clus- ter visitation techniques we have been able to monitor predation just A second and related question concerns the effects of industrial land- as closely—locating over 800 cougar kill and scavenging sites to date. scape change on cougar populations and predation patterns. Alberta’s The field portion of the study will wrap up in 2008 and final results economy depends largely on natural resource extraction (forestry and will be available in 2009. §

18 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 Tools of the Trade

This Tools of the Trade section is intended as a venue for the exchange of information and ideas on techniques for studying, managing and conserving wild felids. Brief reports, reviews and letters and other submissions on research technologies and methodologies are welcomed to [email protected]. For this issue we highlight 3 recent papers on noninvasive population sampling for wild felids.

Evaluation of noninvasive Comparing scat detection dogs, cameras, and hair snares for genetic sampling methods for surveying carnivores felid and canid populations

Emily W. Ruell and Kevin R. Crooks Robert A. Long, Therese M. Donovan, Paula Mackay, William J. Zielinski, Jeffrey S. Buzas Journal Of Wildlife Management 2007 Journal of Wildlife Management 2007, 71 (6):2018–2025; 71(5):1690–1694 Abstract: We assessed the detection and accuracy rates of detection dogs trained to locate Abstract: Noninvasive sampling meth- scats from free-ranging black bears ( americanus), fishers Martes( pennanti), and bob- ods provide a means for studying species cats (Lynx rufus). During the summers of 2003–2004, 5 detection teams located 1,565 scats such as large mammalian carnivores that (747 putative black bear, 665 putative fisher, and 153 putative bobcat) at 168 survey sites are difficult to survey using traditional throughout Vermont, USA. Of 347 scats genetically analyzed for species identification, 179 techniques. Focusing on bobcat (Lynx (51.6%) yielded a positive identification, 131 (37.8%) failed to yield DNA information, and rufus), we compared the effectiveness of 37 (10.7%) yielded DNA but provided no species confirmation. For 70 survey sites where noninvasive hair and scat genetic sam- confirmation of a putative target species’ scat was not possible, we assessed the probability pling in terms of field sample collection, that 1 of the scats collected at the site was deposited by the target species (probability of cor- species identification, and individual rect identification; PID). Based on species confirmations or PID values, we detected bears identification. We describe a novel hair- at 57.1% (96) of sites, fishers at 61.3% (103) of sites, and bobcats at 12.5% (21) of sites. We snare design and sampling protocol that estimated that the mean probability of detecting the target species (when present) during successfully sampled 4 sympatric car- a single visit to a site was 0.86 for black bears, 0.95 for fishers, and 0.40 for bobcats. The nivore species, bobcat, mountain lion probability of detecting black bears was largely unaffected by site- or visit-specific covariates, ( concolor), ( latrans), but the probability of detecting fishers varied by detection team.We found little or no effect and gray ( cinereoargenteus), of topographic ruggedness, vegetation density, or local weather (e.g., temp, humidity) on in 3 habitat blocks in coastal southern detection probability for fishers or black bears (data were insufficient for bobcat analyses). California, USA. Scat surveys were Detection dogs were highly effective at locating scats from forest carnivores and provided also successful at sampling bobcats and an efficient and accurate method for collecting detection–nondetection data on multiple other carnivores in the area. Hair and species. scat sampling methods had similar spe- Contact: [email protected] cies identification success (81% and 87%, respectively) using mitochondrial DNA amplification and restriction enzyme Hair snares for noninvasive sampling of felids in North America: Do digestion patterns. Therefore, for stud- gray affect success? ies focused on the distribution and ac- tivity of a suite of carnivore species, we Patricia J. Downey, Eric C. Hellgren, Arturo Caso, Sasha Carvajal, and Kerri Frangioso recommend a combination of noninva- Journal of Wildlife Management 2007, 71 (6):2090-2094. sive methodologies, for example, target- ing hair and scat surveys toward species Abstract: Hair-snare sampling has become a popular technique to assess distribution and and sites where they are most effective. abundance of felids. Using standard hairsnaring protocols, we sampled for margays (Leop- Because of a higher success rate for scat ardus wiedii) in Mexico and mountain lions (Puma concolor) in California, USA, without (85%) than for hair samples (10%) when success. However, we noted a preponderance of (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) hair at using 4 microsatellite loci and a multi- sampling stations. Our review of recent literature suggests a pattern of failure to detect target ple-tubes approach to verify individual felids in hair-snare surveys conducted within the range of the gray fox. We propose, among genotypes, we suggest scat sampling is several alternative explanations, that marking by gray foxes interferes with the tendency of a better choice for studies that require felids to face-rub at sampling stations. individual identification of bobcats. Contact: Contact: [email protected] [email protected]

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 19 Research Highlights

Studying effects of urbanization on disease dynamics in bobcats, Paraguay jaguar study pumas and domestic cats Rocky McBride, P.O. Box 455, Alpine, TX 79831, [email protected] Sue VandeWoud, Associate Professor, Dept. of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathol- ogy, Colorado State University, [email protected] Between 2002 and 2007 as part of an agree- ment with the government of Paraguay 16 dif- Kevin Crooks, Associate Professor, Dept. of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, ferent jaguars were captured and equipped with Colorado State University, [email protected] GPS telemetry collars in the Chaco of Paraguay. Researchers at Colorado State University are beginning a new project, funded by a Na- These jaguars were captured in 3 distinct eco- tional Science Foundation Ecology of Infectious Diseases research grant, which will allow systems represented by Faro Moro Ranch in the them to model the effects of urbanization and resultant on disease Central Chaco, Defensores de Chaco National dynamics in bobcats, pumas, and domestic cats. These 3 species will be evaluated simul- Park and adjacent private lands in the North- taneously in high mountain desert (Colorado), everglades (Florida) and Mediterranean ern Chaco, and Fortin Patria a private preserve scrub habitat (California). Because pumas and bobcats are sympatric in these regions, are in the Pantanal region of Northeastern Chaco. susceptible to many of the same diseases, and are both at risk of infection with domestic Of the 16 GPS collars fitted on jaguars, 7 were cat pathogens, the researchers will be able to investigate disease prevalence in relation to successfully recovered. Data from the success- urbanization at multiple spatial and temporal scales in 3 divergent ecosystems. They will: fully recovered collars mapped considerable 1) model predictor variables relevant to exposure to a select panel of heterogeneous patho- variations in movement patterns of jaguars in gens; 2) use pathogen genomics to develop novel tools to assess landscape connectivity; 3) the different habitat types. Two adult female evaluate evidence for cross-species disease transmission among domestic and nondomestic jaguar in the dry Chaco had home ranges of felids; 4) evaluate the importance of wild felids as hosts of common zoonotic diseases; 38,800 ha and 49,200 ha as compared to two and 5) correlate landscape features with disease exposure. These efforts will allow them to adult females in the Pantanal region that had gain an understanding of how urbanization influences the dynamics of infectious disease annual home ranges of 6,900 ha and 7,200 ha among wildlife populations and domestic pets. each. The 3 male jaguars from the dry Chaco had annual home ranges of 39,000 ha, 41,000 ha, and 129,000 ha. These home ranges in the Novel spatial tools for landscape are needed in order to produce dry Chaco are much larger than any reported connectivity conservation: defensible land-use plans. We used a suite in the literature to date. During this time 5 Cougars in southern California of habitat and landscape connectivity mod- pumas were also captured and equipped with els to develop a long-term conservation VHF telemetry collars on Faro Moro ranch. strategy for cougars in a highly fragmented Annual puma home ranges varied from a maxi- Rick A. Hopkins, Live Oak Associates, region of southern California. Within our mum of 7,500 ha to a minimum of 2,600 ha. In Inc. San Jose, CA, [email protected] 35,000-km² study area, we used empirical addition to the telemetry studies, a seasonal Brett Dickson, Center for Environmen- and expert-based information to derive grid of camera traps was located on Faro Moro tal Sciences and Education, Northern spatially-explicit models of core and dis- ranch during this time. Camera traps captured Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, persal habitats. We then integrated these 47 photos of jaguars representing 13 individual [email protected] models to predict important linkage zones males identified by spot patterns and 216 pho- among core areas using models from elec- tos of pumas of which 25 were identified as Brad McRae, National Center for tronic circuit theory, which predict move- collared or marked animals. All mammals that Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa ment probabilities given the quality and were captured by cameras were recorded serv- Barbara, CA, [email protected] configuration of dispersal habitat between ing as baseline data for future studies. During The conservation of wide-ranging taxa -de core areas. Probabilistic model outputs were the 5 year study, notes were kept of jaguar sign pends critically on planning efforts that used to quantitatively compare the value found, livestock predation, and jaguar mortali- consider both habitat and connectivity of alternative pathways, and evaluate the ties throughout the Chaco from communica- needs of focal species. Fragmented land- implications of continued habitat loss and tions with local inhabitants and landowners. scapes that include expansive areas of ur- fragmentation. Our results both illustrate This study represents the first comprehensive banization can further complicate analyses an integrated approach to habitat conserva- research on jaguars in the Chaco of Paraguay and realistic conservation goals. Despite tion planning, and provide a framework to and on arid land jaguars anywhere within their these challenges, contemporary efforts test a-priori hypotheses regarding animal range. tend to rely on overly-simplistic decision movement. The portability of these princi- rules and tools (e.g., GIS overlays, least- ples can serve as a framework for long-term cost pathways, etc). We believe the use of planning for cougar and other species in theoretically grounded spatial tools that various regions in North America. permit a more integrated analysis of the

20 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 Research Highlights

Canadian lynx cycles and barriers Ecology and conservation of cougars in the eastern Great Basin to dispersal David C. Stoner, Ph.D. student Department of Wildland Resources, State University, [email protected] Gabriela Yates, Ph.D. student Department of Biological Sciences Utah State University and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources are cooperating on University of Alberta a cougar research project, covering three study areas across the state. Other partners in- [email protected] clude the Fishlake National Forest, the Utah National Guard, and Kennecott Utah Cop- www.ualberta.ca/~gyates/projectlynx per Corporation. The project is under the direction of Dr. Michael Wolfe, professor in the Department of Wildland Resources. The overall objective of this study is to monitor Persistent and regular population cycles pro- population trends, movement patterns, and predation of cougars under different densities, duced by specialist predators and their prey are management regimes, and environmental conditions. a rarity in nature, but appear to be a major force creating a periodic rhythm in boreal ecosystems. Fieldwork is currently underway on Monroe Mountain (ca. 1996), the Oquirrh Mtns Canadian lynx and snowshoe hare display such (ca. 1997), and the Stansbury Mtns (ca. 2006). Monroe Mtn is the treatment population a pervasive 10-year cycle. The chain of national where we are measuring the effects of hunting on cougar population growth rates and parks and natural areas throughout Canada demographic structure. The Oquirrh site serves as an unexploited reference population may be failing to maintain the connections to compare with Monroe. Because of its proximity to the Salt Lake area, we are between the temperate forests of the northern also examining nocturnal movement and predation patterns of cougars living along the US and the vast Canadian boreal forest. Lynx expanding urban-wildland interface. The Stansbury Mtns are a dry, desert range, west of persistence in the US and southern Canada the Oquirrhs. On this site we are investigating individual cougar predation patterns in may depend on their ability to adapt to climate relation to the movements of reintroduced bighorn sheep. changes and retain dispersal connections with the core population. This project targets the ecological integrity and interconnectedness of the natural areas in western Canada to ensure population persistence in the southern por- tions of the lynx range. Examining the habitat and prey selection of an isolated cougar population My research project is designed to evaluate alternative hypotheses to explain the break- Michelle M. Bacon, M.Sc. candidate down in the periodicity and amplitude of the Dept of Biological Sciences, Univ of Alberta, [email protected] lynx-hare cycle: the homogenizing effect of predator dispersal versus the reduction in envi- My field work is taking place in Interprovincial Park, a ~400 km² protected ronmental seasonality that is hypothesized to oasis of forested hills in the middle of the prairies which spans the southeast corner of maintain the 10-year cycle. The objectives are Alberta and the southwest corner of Saskatchewan. Large carnivores had been eradicated to 1) enumerate the 10-year cycle breakdown at from this area in the early 1900s due to agricultural expansion and predator control. How- southern latitudes using detailed Alberta and ever, in the past 10 years sightings of cougars in this region has been increasing and the British Columbia trapping records, 2) evaluate conservation officers in the park, who have been monitoring with wildlife cameras and barriers to gene flow (hence dispersal) using snow tracking for the past 5 years, estimate a resident population of 7-10 adults. I began pelt DNA, 3) use radiocollared lynx to estimate my research this past summer with remote cameras and got several pictures of different a model of habitats that facilitate dispersal, family groups, so we know there are at least 2 breeding females. In early 2008, I will be and 4) examine climate and trapping data to capturing and putting 5 Lotek GPS radiocollars out on adults in order to monitor habitat evaluate the seasonal-forcing hypothesis. This selection and find kill sites to identify prey selection. This project will attempt to answer project will culminate in my Ph.D. dissertation. the following questions: (1) What is the composition and distribution of the population of The project website (see above) will provide cougars in southeast Alberta? (2) What are the seasonal and human effects on movement environmental education, project updates and and range of the cougars? (3) What is the composition of prey killed by cougars? results, and interactive features such as the abil- On a local level, the expansion of cougars’ range eastwardly means that management and ity to track the movements of individual lynx as conservation strategies are needed in Cypress County to protect the human, livestock and they disperse across Alberta and BC and into wildlife interests of the area. In the broader scope, evaluating the isolated Cypress cou- the southern range. gars will help gain an understanding of the factors that contribute to the restoration of a large carnivore, as well as provide insight into the ecological significance of isolated habitat patches and their importance as stepping stones which facilitate gene flow to more distant populations.

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 21 Recent Publications

GENERAL ECOLOGY Rector, A., P. Lemey, R. Tachezy, S. Most- BOBCAT Hone, J., C. Krebs, M. O’Donoghue, and mans, S.J. Ghim, K. Van Doorslaer, M. Janecka, J.E., T.L. Blankenship, D.H. Hirth, S. Boutin. 2007. Evaluation of predator Roelke, M. Bush, R.J. Montali, J. Joslin, C.W. Kilpatrick, M.E. Tewes, and L.I. numerical responses. Wildlife Research R.D. Burk, A.B. Jenson, J.P. Sundberg, Grassman. 2007. Evidence for male- 34:335-341. B. Shapiro, and M. Van Ranst. 2007. biased dispersal in bobcats Lynx rufus Stankowich, T., and R.G. Coss. 2007. The Ancient papillomavirus-host co-specia- using relatedness analysis. Wildlife re-emergence of felid camouflage with tion in Felidae. Genome Biology 8. Biology 13:38-47. the decay of predator recognition in deer HUMAN ATTITUDES McKinney, T., and T.W. Smith. 2007. Diets under relaxed selection. Proceedings of Silva-Rodgrquez, E.A., G.R. Ortega-Solis, of sympatric bobcats and coyotes dur- the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences and J.E. Jimenez. 2007. Human at- ing years of varying rainfall in central 274:175-182. titudes towards wild felids in a human- Arizona. Western North American MORPHOLOGY dominated landscape of Southern . Naturalist 67:8-15. Millions, D. G., and B.J. Swanson. 2007. Christiansen, P. 2007. Canine morphology Cat News No. 46 Impact of natural and artificial barriers in the larger Felidae: implications for RESEARCH TECHNIQUES to dispersal on the population structure feeding ecology. Biological Journal of Downey, P.J., E.C. Hellgren, A. Caso, S. of bobcats. Journal of Wildlife Manage- the Linnean Society 91:573-592. Carvajal, and K. Frangioso. 2007. Hair ment 71:96-102. Day, L.M., and B.C. Jayne. 2007. Interspe- snares for noninvasive sampling of felids cific scaling of the morphology and pos- CANADA LYNX in North America: Do gray foxes affect ture of the limbs during the locomotion success? Journal of Wildlife Manage- Burdett, C. L., R.A. Moen, G. J. Niemi, and of cats ( ). Journal of Experimen- Felidae ment 71:2090-2094. L. D. Mech. 2007. Defining space use tal Biology 210:642-654. Hetherington, D.A., and M.L. Gorman. and movements of Canada lynx with ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACTS 2007. Using prey densities to estimate global positioning system telemetry. the potential size of reintroduced Journal of Mammalogy 88:457-467. Whiteman, C.W., E.R. Matushima, U.E. C. Carroll, C. 2007. Interacting effects of cli- Confalonieric, M.D.C. Palha, A.D.L. populations of Eurasian lynx. Biological Conservation 137:37-44. mate change, landscape conversion, and daSilva, and V.C. Monteiro. 2007. Hu- harvest on carnivore populations at the man and domestic animal populations Long, R.A., T.M. Donovan, P. Mackay, W.J. Zielinski, and J.S. Buzas. 2007a. range margin: and Lynx in the as a potential threat to wild carnivore northern Appalachians. Conservation conservation in a fragmented landscape Comparing scat detection dogs, cameras, and hair snares for surveying carni- Biology 21:1092-1104. from the Eastern Brazilian Amazon. Fuller, A.K., D.J. Harrison, and J.H. Vashon. Biological Conservation 138:290-296. vores. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:2018-2025. 2007. Winter habitat selection by GENETICS AND DISEASE Long, R.A., T.M. Donovan, P. Mackay, Canada lynx in Maine: Prey abundance Willi, B., C. Filoni, J.L. Catao-Dias, V. Cat- W. J. Zielinski, and J.S. Buzas. 2007b. or accessibility? Journal of Wildlife tori, M.L. Meli, A. Vargas, F. Martinez, Effectiveness of scat detection dogs for Management 71:1980-1986. M.E. Roelke, M.P. Ryser-Degiorgis, detecting forest carnivores. Journal of Griffin, P.C., and L.S. Mills. 2007. Precom- C.M. Leutenegger, H. Lutz, and R. Wildlife Management 71:2007-2017. mercial thinning reduces snowshoe hare Hofmann-Lehmann. 2007. Worldwide Ruell, E. W., and K. R. Crooks. 2007. Evalu- abundance in the short term. Journal of occurrence of feline hernoplasma infec- ation of noninvasive genetic sampling Wildlife Management 71:559-564. tions in wild felid species. Journal of methods for felid and canid popula- Homyack, J.A., D.J. Harrison, and W.B. Clinical Microbiology 45:1159-1166. tions. Journal of Wildlife Management Krohn. 2007. Effects of precommercial Riley, S. P. D., C. Bromley, R.H. Pop- 71:1690-1694. thinning on snowshoe hares in Maine. penga, F.A. Uzal, L. Whited, and R.M. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:4-13. Sauvajot. 2007. Anticoagulant exposure and notoedric mange in bobcats and mountain lions in urban southern Cali- BOBCAT: Master of Survival fornia. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:1874-1884. by Kevin Hansen Bentler, K.T., J.S. Hall, J.J. Root, K. Klenk, B. Schmit, B.F. Blackwell, P.C. Ramey, and L. Clark. 2007. Serologic evidence The most comprehensive and up-to-date book on the natural of West Nile virus exposure in North history and management of bobcats in 40 years American mesopredators. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hy- “grows in stature with every page” - David Brown in giene 76:173-179. Arizona Wildlife Views

22 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 Recent Publications

Kolbe, J.A., and J.R. Squires. 2007. Circa- ‘de Azevedo, F.C.C., and D.L. Murray. 2007. Harvey, J.W., M.R. Dunbar, T.M. Norton, dian activity patterns of Canada lynx in Spatial organization and food habits and M.J. Yabsley. 2007. Laboratory find- western Montana. Journal of Wildlife of jaguars (Panthera onca) in a flood- ings in acute Cytauxzoon felis infection Management 71:1607-1611. plain forest. Biological Conservation in cougars (Puma concolor couguar) in Kolbe, J.A., J.R. Squires, D.H. Pletscher, 137:391-402. Florida. Journal of and Wildlife and L.F. Ruggiero. 2007. The effect of Junior, J.L.R., M.A. Gioso, and L.M. Medicine 38:285-291. snowmobile trails on coyote movements Domingues-Falqpeiro. 2007. A compar- Kortello, A.D., T.E. Hurd, and D.L. Mur- within lynx home ranges. Journal of ative study about the prevalence of peri- ray. 2007. Interactions between cougars Wildlife Management 71:1409-1418 odontal disease in Panthera onca, living (Puma concolor) and gray wolves (Canis Maquet, J., C. Letellier, and L.A. Aguirre. in captivity and in the wild. Pesquisa lupus) in Banff National Park, Alberta. 2007. Global models from the Canadian Veterinaria Brasileira 27:209-214. Ecoscience 14:214-222. lynx cycles as a direct evidence for chaos Salom-Perez, R.,E. Carrillo, J.C. Saenz, and Laundré, J.W., and L. Hernandez. 2007. Do in real ecosystems. Journal of Math- J.M. Mora. 2007. Critical condition of female pumas (Puma concolor) exhibit ematical Biology 55:21-39. the jaguar Panthera onca population in a birth pulse? Journal of Mammalogy Squires, J.R., and L.F. Ruggiero. 2007. Corcovado National Park, . 88:1300-1304. Winter prey selection of Canada lynx Oryx 41:51-56. Laundré, J.W., L. Hernandez, and S.G. in northwestern Montana. Journal of OCELOT Clark. 2007. Numerical and demograph- Wildlife Management 71:310-315. ic responses of pumas to changes in prey Janecka, J. E., C.W. Walker, M.E. Tewes, Stenseth, N.C. 2007. Canadian hare-lynx abundance: Testing current predic- A. Caso, L.L. Laack, and R.L. Honey- dynamics and climate variation: need tions. Journal of Wildlife Management cutt. 2007. Phylogenetic relationships for further interdisciplinary work on the 71:345-355. of ocelot ( ) interface between ecology and climate. Leopardus pardalis albescens Laundré, J.W., L. Hernandez, and S.G. populations from the Tamaulipan biotic Climate Research 34:91-92. Atwood, T. C., E. M. Gese, and K. E. province and implications for recovery. Yom-Tov, Y., S. Yom-Tov, D. MacDonald, Kunkel. 2007. Comparative patterns Southwestern Naturalist 52:89-96. and E. Yom-Tov. 2007. Population cycles of predation by cougars and recolo- and changes in body size of the lynx in PAMPAS CAT nizing wolves in Montana’s Madison Alaska. Oecologia 152:239-244. Sanchez-Soto, S. 2007. New record of On- Range. Journal of Wildlife Management Zhang, Z.B., Y. Ta, and Z.Q. Li. 2007. Fac- cifelis colocolo (Felidae) in the Pantanal 71:1098-1106. tors affecting hare-lynx dynamics in the of Brazil. Revista Mexicana De Biodiver- Miotto, R. A., F. P. Rodrigues, G. Ciocheti, classic time series of the Hudson Bay sidad 78:211-212. and P. M. Galetti. 2007. Determination Company, Canada. Climate Research of the minimum population size of pu- PUMA 34:83-89. mas (Puma concolor) through fecal DNA Dickson, B. G., and P. Beier. 2007. Quan- GEOFFREY’S CAT analysis in two protected cerrado areas tifying the influence of topographic in the Brazilian Southeast. Biotropica Canepuccia, A.D., M.M. Martinez, and A.I. position on cougar (Puma concolor) 39:647-654. Vassallo. 2007. Selection of waterbirds movement in southern California, USA. Rodzen, J.A., J.D. Banks, E.P. Meredith, by Geoffroy’s cat: Effects of prey abun- Journal of Zoology 271:270-277. and K.C. Jones. 2007. Characterization dance, size, and distance. Mammalian Fiorello, C.V., M.W. Cunningham, S.L. of 37 microsatellite loci in mountain Biology 72:163-173. Cantwell, J.K. Levy, E.M. Neer, K. lions (Puma concolor) for use in forensic JAGUAR Conley, and P.M. Rist. 2007. Diagnosis and population applications. Conserva- Carrillo, E. 2007. Tracking the elusive jag- and treatment of presumptive postob- tion Genetics 8:1239-1241. uar. Natural History 116:30-34. structive pulmonary edema in a Florida Uzal, F.A., R.S. Houston, S.P.D. Riley, R. de Azevedo, F.C.C., and D.L. Murray. 2007. panther (Puma concolor coryi). Journal of Poppenga, J. Odani, and W. Boyce. 2007. Evaluation of potential factors predis- Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 38:317-322. Notoedric mange in two free-ranging posing livestock to predation by jaguars. Galentine, S. P., and P. K. Swift. 2007. In- mountain lions (Puma concolor). Journal Journal of Wildlife Management traspecific killing among mountain lions of Wildlife Diseases 43:274-278. 71:2379-2386. (Puma concolor). Southwestern Natural- ist 52:161-164.

Th e s e s a n d Dissertations Conforti, V. A. 2007. CpG motif-based adjuvant enhances immunogenicity of a recombinant LHRH vaccine, and, Noninvasive monitoring of adrenal and gonadal function in the jaguar (Panthera onca). Dissertation, Washington State University, U.S. Ghikas, D. M. 2007. Intrinsic and extrinsic influences on vital rates of cougars Puma( concolor) in a hunted population. M.S. Thesis. University of Calgary, Canada. LaRue, M. A. 2007. Predicting potential habitat and dispersal corridors for cougars in midwestern North America. M.S. Thesis. Southern Il- linois University at Carbondale, Illinois. Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 23 Future Events

Co u g a r Fi e l d Wo r k s h o p February 18-22, 2008 Ladder Ranch, NM

The Second Cougar Field Workshop is to be held February 18-22, 2008 on Ted Turner’s spectacular Ladder Ranch in the heart of New Mexico and the heart of cougar country. Organized by Harley Shaw, this second workshop is designed to train biologists working in the midwest and eastern U.S. to recog- nize the varied sign of the cougar (Puma concolor).

Participants will spend time in the classroom and in the field learning the science and art of tracking cougars, including the use of remote cameras. Topics of discussion and field work will include: • identifying sign including cougar kills, scrapes, tracks, and differentiating these from other carnivore sign • basic cougar behavior as known from research • evaluation of the significance of cougar presence (reaction in states with uncertain puma status) • communication issues and public relations

Contact, Registration and Collection of Fees Meredith Steele. Ladder Ranch, HC 31 Box 95. Caballo NM 87931 Phone 505-895-5385, [email protected] For more information visit http://www.easterncougarnet.org/

Ni n t h Mo u n t a i n Li o n Wo r k s h o p “Cougars: Past, Present and Future Challenges” May 5-8, 2008 Sun Valley, Idaho

Hosted by the Idaho Dept of Fish and Game. Sanctioned by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies The 2008 Mountain Lion Workshop will celebrate the rich history of cougar Puma( concolor) research with origins in Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilder- ness. The workshop will also provide a forum for researchers, managers, academicians and other mountain lion enthusiasts from across western North America to exchange recent advances in research and management. This workshop will promote communi- cation and cooperation between and among agencies, organizations and individuals.

Paper and Poster Abstracts are Due February 1

For more information contact: David Smith ([email protected]) or Steve Nadeau ([email protected]) or at (208) 334-2920

or visit http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/lion/workshop/default.cfm

24 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 WFA Membership Application and Survey

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Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 25 WFA Membership Application (page 2)

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26 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 Board News

The Interim (Founding) Board

Linda Sweanor, Interim President Gary M. Koehler, Ph.D. Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Wildlife Research Scientist Colorado State University Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife 68761 Overland Road 2218 Stephanie Brooke Montrose, CO 81401 USA Wenatchee, WA 98801 (970) 252-1928 [email protected] [email protected] Christopher M. Papouchis, editor Wild Felid Monitor Sharon Negri, Interim Secretary Conservation Scientist Wild Futures 1320 18th Street, Apt 3 353 Wallace Way, NE Suite 12 Sacramento, CA 95814 Bainbridge Island, WA, USA 98110 [email protected] (206) 780-9718 [email protected] Hugh Robinson, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Researcher John J. Beecham, Ph.D. Wildlife Biology Program Craighead Beringia South. College of Forestry and Conservation 2723 N. Lakeharbor Lane University of Montana Boise, ID 83703 Missoula, MT 59802 [email protected] [email protected]

Chris Belden Ron W. Thompson Florida Panther Recovery Coordinator Wildlife Biologist U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Primero Conservation Outfitters 1339 20th Street [email protected] Vero Beach, FL 32960 (772) 562-3909 x 237 [email protected]

Deanna Dawn Wildlife biologist Nomad Ecological Consulting 8760 McCarty Ranch Dr. San Jose, CA 95135 (408) 712-1001 [email protected]

Rich DeSimone Research Biologist Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Helena, MT 59620 (406)841-4014 [email protected]

Credit: Ken Logan

Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1 27 GET INVOLVED WITH THE WFA

The WFA needs immediate assistance and expertise in the following areas: • Regional representatives • Website design and management • Database management • Newsletter

If you are interested in helping the WFA in these or other areas, or have comments on this newsletter, please contact Linda Sweanor, Board President at [email protected] © Susan Morse

About the Wild Felid Research and Management Association (WFA)

The Wild Felid Research and Management Association is an organization (USA tax#54-2648058) open to professional biologists, wildlife managers, and others dedicated to the conservation of all wild felid species, with an emphasis on those species in the western hemisphere. The Wild Felid Association acts in an advisory capacity to facilitate wild felid conservation, management, and research, public education about wild felids, and functions among various governments, agencies, councils, universities, and organizations responsible or interested in wild felids and their habitats.

Our intention is to: 1. Provide for and encourage the coordination and exchange of information on the ecology, management, and conservation of wild felids; 2. Provide liaison with other groups; and, 3. Provide a format for conducting workshops, panels, and conferences on research management, and conservation topics related to wild felids.

Goal: The goal of the Wild Felid Association is to promote the management, conservation and restoration of wild felids through science-based research, management, and education.

Objectives: 1. Promote and foster well-designed research of the highest scientific and professional standards. 2. Support and promote sound stewardship of wild felids through scientifically based population and habitat management. 3. Promote opportunities for communication and collaboration across scientific disciplines and among wild felid research scientists and managers through conferences, workshops, and newsletters. 4. Increase public awareness and understanding of the ecology, conservation, and management of wild felids by encouraging the transla- tion of technical information into popular literature and other media, and other educational forums. 5. Encourage the professional growth and development of our members. 6. Provide professional counsel and advice on issues of natural resource policy related to wild felid management, research, and conservation. 7. Maintain the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

Printed on 30% Post-consumer recycled paper 28 Wild Felid Monitor: Winter 2007-08: Vol 1, Issue 1