The Wild Felid Monitor The Wild Felid Research and Management Association Summer 2014, Volume 7, Issue 2 IN THIS ISSUE WFA Scholarship Recipients 11th Mountain Lion Workshop Free-ranging Domestic Cats Zicuirán – Infiernillo Biosphere Reserve Climate Change and Wild Felid Conservation Puma Ageing Criteria The Panthercam AND MORE WFA website: www.wildfelid.org Contents Council News 3 From the President 18 Using felids as the basis of a biodiversity conservation 4 WFA Council and WFA Committees strategy in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Caribbean 5 Q & A Corner region of Colombia 7 11th Mountain Lion Workshop 8 2014 Wild Felid Legacy Scholarship recipients Perspectives 9 Regional News 20 Climate Change & Cat Conservation: The Challenges 26 Literature Cited in This Issue Ahead 29 Recent Publications 30 Research Highlights Tools of the Trade 21 The Panthercam – A Camera-Trap Optimized for Invited Article Monitoring Wild Felids 14 Why are free-ranging domestic cats important to wild felid 24 Cougar Age Classes for the Masses biologists? Notes From The Field 16 Zicuirán – Infiernillo Biosphere Reserve, a refuge for wild cats in Tierra Caliente, Michoacan, Mexico WFA logo designed by Ben Wright, [email protected] Front Cover Photo: Panthera, Colombia Back Cover photo: Jim Sanderson All photo credits to article’s lead author unless otherwise noted The Wild Felid Monitor is the biannual newsletter of the Wild Felid Research and Management Association. The publication is provided to current Association members. To join, renew your membership, or to obtain back-issues of the newsletter, please visit our website at www.wildfelid.org. PO Box 486, Hillsboro NM, USA E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.wildfelid.org ISSN 2167-3861 (print), ISSN 2167-387X (online) Managing Editor: Harley Shaw, [email protected] Corresponding Editor: Kyle Thompson, [email protected] 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. Please send photos, graphics and tables as separate files suitable for portrait page formatting. Electronic submissions to [email protected] are preferred; otherwise mail to the address above. The WFA reserves the right to accept, reject and edit submissions. The photos and artwork are copyrighted – please do not reproduce without permission. Submission deadline for the Winter 2015 issue is October 15, 2014 2 Wild Felid Monitor Summer 2014 From the WFA President hanks to our involved revisits a looming threat in his Perspectives piece – Climate Tmembership, we have Change. The Monitor presented a piece on this topic in its a full newsletter. A few inaugral issue. It is one we must continue to take seriously, and submissions are being held work to solve. The newly televised Cosmos series provided until the Winter issue and excellent treatment of this topic and I encourage those who we are also making structural changes to create more room haven’t seen it to do so. Our Q&A Corner discussion focuses for articles. Our regional on safe trapping techniques and helps remind all of us of our and student representatives obligation to fully justify our need to capture study animals have done an excellent job of and employ the safest practices when doing so. As Winston providing updates. To save Vickers said, in each project, “a serious assessment needs to be space and acknowledge the made as to whether information gained is worth the animal “Reps”, we will dedicate a page paying the price.” to our WFA representatives Upcoming 2015 WFA Election. WFA will elect 5 Coun- once each year in the Winter cil members next summer (to begin serving January 2016), in- issue. A list of our representatives can also be found on our website. cluding President, Vice Presidents (North America and Latin In this issue. This issue’s invited article on free-ranging America), Secretary, and 1 general Councilor. We are look- cats; why they matter by Michael Cove (page 14) discusses ing for candidates who will help WFA continue to grow as an biological and ecological problems caused by the increasing effective, professional organization. Send queries to Melanie numbers of feral and free-ranging domestic cats. In 2011 The Culver, Election Chair. Wildlife Society (TWS) approved a position statement on this Announcements. WFA is awarding 3 Wild Felid Legacy issue with 10 policy points. One of the opening lines is “Exotic Scholarships this year (page 8). We will provide details on the species are recognized as one of the most widespread and other 13 scholarship applicants in the Winter 2015 issue. The serious threats to the integrity of native wildlife populations Scholarship Committee was encouraged by the number of ap- and natural ecosystems.” If you haven’t seen the statement, it plicants from Latin American universities (6). WFA played a is worth a read It is on the WFA website under ‘news’. Two lead role in the 11th Mountain Lion Workshop (page 7), aided articles discuss conservation strategies being employed within in our efforts by a grant from The Summerlee Foundation. Colombia (Charry et al., page 18) and Mexico (Edder et al., Grant money was used to support participants to WFA-spon- page 16). The species-rich (including felids) Sierra Nevada sored sessions as well as cover registration fees for a number de Santa Marta of Colombia’s Caribbean coast provides a of students. Since January, WFA has also received donations template for an effective conservation strategy at the regional from individuals for the scholarship or general fund totaling level. The Columbian plan identifies problems, develops a over $2800. Panthera has announced that they have received conservation strategy, and recommends projects to mitigate $80 million from a global alliance of philanthropists (China, conflicts, assess protocols, and prevent hunting and killing India, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States) to of felids. The Zicuiran Infiernllo Biosphere Reserve in the save the world’s cats and their ecosystems. The core focus of tropical dry forest of Mexico has existed for 8 years. Although the 10-year commitment will be on tigers, lions, jaguars, snow many causes of habitat deterioration continue in the region, leopards, cheetahs, clouded leopards, pumas and leopards. A conservation will favor the recovery of habitat and wildlife and copy of the news release can be seen on the news page of the provide an important refuge for wild cats. We have two “Tools WFA website, or on Panthera.org. of the Trade” articles in this issue. Panthera embarked in 2005 Membership Surveys. A few new members fill in the to develop a camera-trapping system to meet the needs of WFA questionnaire when joining the organization. Recent wild cat researchers. Olliff and colleagues discuss the 6 design comments on the surveys mention appreciation for the news- attributes they incorporated into their cameras (page 21). letter summaries of ongoing research, the desire for more in- The cameras compare well with other commercial options, formation on aversion or damage control techniques, and the yet at a lower price. They are only available to Panthera request for links to the best brochures/educational materi- partners and grantees. Because cameras are fast becoming al for living with felids. If you have information to share or the catch-all for field research, I would like to encourage a would like to assist with compiling links contact me or post discussion on cameras (what works well, what doesn’t) on our on our googlegroup. googlegroup. In his article “Cougar age classes for the masses” Thanks everyone for your interest, dedication, and contri- Rich Beausoleil suggests simplifying puma age classification, butions. Have a great summer! thereby meshing management with the biology and behavior of the species as explained in current texts (e.g., Desert Puma ~Linda Sweanor; [email protected] and Cougar Ecology and Conservation). Anthony Giordano Wild Felid Monitor Summer 2014 3 WFA Council Officers Councilors President Rodrigo Núñez 2014-2016 Linda Sweanor 2013-2015 COVIDEC A.C. Wildlife Biologist Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico Montrose, Colorado, USA 81401 [email protected] (970) 275-2586 [email protected] Sandra Ortiz 2014-2016 Vice President – North America MVZ, Wildlife Pharmaceuticals Mexico Laurel Serieys 2013-2015 C.P. 77723 Playa del Carmen UCLA Solidaridad, Quintana Roo, Mexico Los Angeles, CA 90095 +52 5560881709 [email protected] (214) 729-2328 [email protected] Christopher M. Papouchis 2014-2016 Vice President – Latin America Adjunct Professor Anthony Giordano 2013-2015 California State Univ & American River College PhD Candidate & Fulbright Scholar Sacramento, CA, USA Texas Tech University (916) 448-1669 [email protected] Lubbock, TX 79409 (516) 982-6554 [email protected] Stan Rullman 2014-2016 Research Director, EarthWatch, Secretary Boston, MA 02134 Suzie Prange 2013-2015 [email protected] Ohio Division of Wildlife Athens, OH 45701 Aimee Rockhill 2013-2015 (740) 589-9924 [email protected] Wildlife Biologist Koyukuk/Nowitna National Wildlife Refuges Treasurer Galena, AK 99741 Marcella J. Kelly 2014-2016 907-656-1231 [email protected] Associate Professor Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg,