Pallas' Cat

Conservation status: Near Threatened. The Pallas’ cat (Otocolobus manul) may look grumpy, but this secretive species is perfectly at home in the grasslands of the Central Asian steppe. Pallas’ cats typically make their dens in the burrows of small mammals, which are also their main prey.

Sunda Clouded Leopard

Conservation status: Vulnerable. The Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) was discovered in 2006, when genetic testing revealed that individuals from the islands of Borneo and Sumatra are distinct from their mainland cousins. A highly arboreal species, Sunda clouded leopards often move about the landscape from tree to tree—avoiding detection by humans, competitors and prey.

Chinese Mountain Cat

Conservation status: Vulnerable. A close relative (and potential subspecies) of the common wildcat, the Chinese desert cat (Felis bieti) lives in the high altitude shrubland and meadows of the Tibetan plateau. This species is declining due to human pressures of hunting and poisoning of pikas—its favourite food source.

Guiña

Conservation status: Vulnerable. The Guiña (Leopardus guigna) is the smallest cat in the New World, with adults reaching a maximum weight of only 3.0 kg. Guiñas inhabit forest and thicket habitats of southern Chile and Argentina, where they are adept predators of small birds, mammals and reptiles.

Rusty-Spotted Cat

Conservation status: Vulnerable. Sometimes described as ‘the hummingbird of cats’, the rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is one of the world’s smallest felid species. Found throughout the forests and grasslands of India and Sri Lanka, this species is rarely seen in the wild.

Black-footed Cat

Conservation status: Vulnerable. The black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) is a tiny species native to the dry grasslands and Karoo desert habitats of southern Africa. Frequent wanderers, individuals may travel up to 14km each night in search of small mammals and ground-nesting birds.

Oncilla

Conservation status: Vulnerable. The oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) is an elusive species of cat found at low densities throughout Central and South America. Rare by nature, oncillas are vulnerable to habitat loss and exclusion by ocelots—a larger cat species that is both its competitor and predator.

Fishing Cat

Conservation status: Endangered. As its name suggests, the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) eats mostly fish and is a surprisingly capable swimmer. Found throughout southern Asia, fishing cats live near fresh water marshes, lakes and streams. Sadly, this requirement often brings them into conflict with humans, the cats facing stiff competition for both wetland habitat and prey throughout their range.

Andean cat

Conservation status: Endangered. The Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita) inhabits rocky upper elevations of the Andes mountain range in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. This high altitude species is a finely-tuned predator of chinchillas and viscachas. It is also extremely rare—scientists having only seen Andean cats a handful of times in the wild.

Iberian lynx

Conservation status: Endangered. The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) has flirted with extinction in recent decades, with the species reduced to just two small populations in 2002. Concerted conservation efforts have helped the species rebound in Spain and southern Portugal, where it excels as a specialist hunter of rabbits.

10 of the world’s most threatened cats

By Nate Fedrizzi

We all know and love Africa’s large savannah cats or Asia’s iconic Tigers, but did you know that the felid family extends far beyond the classic ‘Big Six’ (Cheetah, Lion, Jaguar, Tiger, Leopard Snow and Leopard)? In fact it contains at least 38 known species, spread right across the planet’s temperate and tropical regions. Once incredibly successful hunters, these amazing animals are now facing an increasingly uncertain future. Here are 10 of the world’s most at risk cats, ones that you may have never have heard of before.

Tags: cats, endangered species