HIGHLIGHTS AGA 2022
Unraveling mysteries The 24/7 program continues to fill up information gaps along the Andean cat’s range. In 2022 we obtained new presence records, and gathered samples that will help us better understand Andean cat genetics and population connectivity. One additional highlight of this program is that it goes beyond this wildcat. In two regions of […]
Recent Publication
We share this recently published article entitled “New Records of the Andean Cat (Leopardus jacobita) in the Central Andes of Chile: Filling Gaps in the Distribution Range through Private-Social Partnerships” From December 2020 to May 2021, or 135 days, eight trail cameras were placed in the central Andes of Chile, in Parque Andino Juncal, with […]
Evaluating Conservation Achievements A Reflection
By PhD Rocío Palacios, General Coordinator Time is a precious commodity, but we all handle it differently depending on culture and life. Today I want to ask for some of your precious time to tell you a story. This is not my story, or the story of a particular person. It’s the story of a […]
New program in the oven
Irresponsible pet ownership is a problem that has been recognized worldwide and affects both wildlife and people.Feral dogs and pets that are not properly cared for by their owners have proven to be a problem for the Andean cat and other endangered species that shares its habitat. This problem is not just related to the […]
CATCrafts – The long awaited visit
After more than one year, we finally visited the artisans of Lagunillas del Farallon. This meeting was emotional and exciting, and social distances and face masks did not prevent us to treasure every moment together. We finally were able to deliver the carding machine that had been waiting at the office in a box. This […]
“The guardian of dreams”
As biologists we are used to measuring things with numbers. It’s the way we do it most of the time. We count how many cats we detect with our camera traps, and one more or one less means something to us. We count how many scats we collect, with the more being the merrier because […]
Helping communities prepare for COVID-19
Living in an isolated community in the Andes may sound like a perfect situation in this pandemic scenario, but in our countries it´s exactly the opposite. Road blockades and transit prohibition directly affects fresh food availability, and sooner rather than later, other essential items such as gas carafes become scarce, threatening their already […]
Love can´t wait
On March 8th I arrived home from a capacity building course and found both Pastora and Lua, the breeding Protective Guard Dog females, in heat. We already decided to give Pastora a rest this year so I focused in making all arrangements to take Lua to Urco, the breeding male that last year produced a […]
The presence of the Andean cat is confirmed in the natural reserve and RAMSAR site Villavicencio
In an inter-institutional effort between the Andean Cat Alliance, the Villavicencio RAMSAR site of the Villavicencio Foundation, and the Secretary of Environment and Territorial Planning, through the Natural Resources Directorate (DRNR), stations were implemented to register andean cat presence, using camera traps within the protected area. As a result, the presence of the species is […]
20 years unraveling the mysterious ghost of the Andes
It seems incredible that back in 1999, there was a species of feline in the Andes whose presence was proven only by some skulls housed in museums and a few photos. No study had been done so far on this species, being a complete mystery to science. We refer to the Andean cat, the sacred […]