Small Cat Action Fund

Around the world, mammals, birds, fish and other species are disappearing before our very eyes. Habitat destruction, climate change, poaching, pollution and human-wildlife conflict are driving as many as three species to extinction every hour. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) manages a staggering list of over 44,000 species threatened with extinction. Five wild cats (one-eighth of all wild feline species) are officially listed as “Endangered”:

Each year on Endangered Species Day, we are reminded of a sorrowing reality. It is an unfortunate truth — many of the world’s most iconic species are endangered and face extinction. From Sumatran rhinoceroses to blue whales, species everywhere are in danger of dying out. Every year, we are reminded that we must commit ourselves to their protection. 

Did you know that there are 33 species of small cats in the world? You might know some of them off the top of your head. Clouded leopards, lynx, bobcats — these are some of the world's most iconic small cats. But there are some small cats that have rarely been studied. Additionally, many are found in remote regions of the world. It’s time to bring some of these small felines to the forefront! 

Margay 

As the new Project Coordinator for Panthera’s Small Cats Program, I am excited to work in upstate New York on bobcats — the species I wrote my PhD dissertation on. However, between my graduation from UCLA in 2014 and now, I also focused on another small cat species. I developed the Urban Caracal Project to examine the effects of urbanization on the behavior and genetics of caracals living within the city of Cape Town, South Africa. 

This is the second installment in our series meant to shine a light on the 33 species of small wild cats found around the globe. You can read our first blog on the flat-headed cat here.

Editor’s Note: Sagar is a grant recipient of Panthera’s Small Cat Action Fund for his work on fishing cats.

Conservation can feel like a losing battle. With reports of ecosystems and species at risk becoming more and more common, people start to become overwhelmed or indifferent. It’s easy to be a pessimist when you stop and ponder the scary and soul-crushing ecological phenomenon on our doorstep. There are glimmers of hope though, and sometimes they come in the package of a small cat.

October 30, 2018

It’s time to change the rules surrounding bobcat management across North America — for the sake of this beautiful wild cat, but also the people who live among it. If hunting and trapping limits evolve to ensure bobcats are abundant enough to support not only sportsmen, but ecotourism and ecological stability, too, the cats would receive better protection and everyone would have equal access to shared resources.