Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 14 December 2020 | 12(16): 17171–17172
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6886.12.16.17171-17172
#6886 | Received 05 November 2020
Foreword to the third special
issue on small wild cats
Angie Appel 1 & Shomita
Mukherjee 2
1 Wild Cat Network, 56470 Bad Marienberg, Germany.
2 Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology
and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil
Nadu 641108, India.
1 angie@wildkatze.org
(corresponding author), 2 shomitam@gmail.com
Date
of publication: 14 December 2020 (online & print)
Citation: Appel, A. & S. Mukherjee (2020). Foreword to the third special issue on small wild cats. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 12(16): 17171–17172. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6886.12.16.17171-17172
Copyright: © Appel
& Mukherjee 2020.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows
unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium
by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.
We are delighted to present the
third special issue on small wild cats in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors of this special issue worked on
seven small wild cats in eight countries and provide important updates on their
distribution, behaviour, and their plights.
Two contributions focus on the
Caracal Caracal caracal,
one of Asia’s most neglected cat. One
accounts of the Caracal in India, where its range has been shrinking to just a
fraction of its historical range at the turn of the 20th
Century. The other reports a promising
locality record, the first in the United Arab Emirates since the mid 1980s.
Asia’s smallest cat, the
Rusty-spotted Cat Prionailurus rubiginosus, motivated three author teams to share
their camera trap and sighting records in northwestern India. If you ever encounter kittens in the field,
make sure to read the recommendations about rescues and reunions with their
mothers!
The Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus
revisited: multiple records obtained for the first time in far-western Nepal
indicate that the population along the Nepal-India border is likely to be
contiguous. The authors emphasize that
transboundary wildlife corridors are essential to maintain the connectivity
between Fishing Cat population units in this water-rich area.
Rescued from wildlife trade in
Bolivia: an Andean Cat Leopardus jacobita provided the first opportunity to study its
physiological and morphological condition while nursed in captivity. When healthy again, it was released into its
natural habitat.
Caught in a cage trap: a Guigna Leopardus guigna showed up in an evergreen forest in far southern
Argentina. This locality record will
hopefully spur further surveys to increase the knowledge about the conservation
needs of South America’s smallest cat.
The Sunda
Clouded Leopard Neofelis diardi in southwestern Borneo: the longest-running
camera trap survey unveiled some facets of the behaviour
of this cryptic cat. The authors stress
on the importance of long-term monitoring to answer questions essential for
planning conservation measures.
Sadly, the Clouded Leopard Neofelis nebulosa
is the only cat, which does not make a live appearance in this issue. The
authors provide crucial information on illegal trade of its skins in Nepal.
The authors of the three special
issues covered work on 18 small wild cats living in 17 countries. These special issues are an ideal platform
for sharing information that is crucial for planning further research and
identifying conservation measures.
We thank the following people for
reviewing the submitted manuscripts in this special issue: David Mallon, Andrew
Spalton, Dharmendra Khandal,
Jimmy Borah, Yadvendradev Jhala,
André da Pinto Silva, Hem Baral, Meraj
Anwar, Cynthia Widmer, Jane Hopper, Jayanta Kumar Bora, Prachi Thatte, Irene Sacristán, Ricardo
A. Figueroa, Muhammad Kabir, Aditi Mukherjee, Nicolás Gálvez
Robinson, Steven Platt, Wanlop Chutipong,
Lonnie Grassman, N.V.K. Ashraf, Marcus Chua, Will
Duckworth, Wyatt Peterson, Maximilian Allen, Chris Shepherd, Jayasilan Mohd-Azlan, Mariya Gritsina, Heiko Wittmer, Ugyen Penjor, Bopanna Ittira Ponnappariya, Sahil Nijhawan, Priya Singh, Jennifer
McCarthy, and Sangeeta Chaudri.
We thank Dharmendra Khandal for providing the cover image of a Caracal in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan.
The enthusiasm of the authors who
contributed to this issue will hopefully inspire you to share your experiences
and endeavours in the world of small wild cats as
well. Stay fascinated!!