Cougars in Canada
Worldly wildcats
From big to small, the cats that roam the globe
By Lindsay Foss
Long since the pharaohs of Egypt, cats have been held in the highest of honour among humans.
Today, however, their status is not so precious. Many in this feline family are at risk, endangered
or extinct.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
has established Appendices to categorize the status of certain species. If a genus falls into
Appendix 1, they are considered the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants.
Appendix 2 includes species that are not threatened at this time, but may become so unless
trade is closely controlled.
Join us as we prowl the globe’s continents for each region’s leading wildcats.
North America | South
America | Africa | Eurasia
NORTH AMERICA
The Canadian lynx is native to North American. Found mainly in Canada, Alaska and the northern
U.S., this animal generally makes its habitat in boreal or mixed deciduous forests. The
Canadian lynx’s diet consists predominately of snowshoe hare. It is the only cat that is
so reliant on a single species of prey that a direct correlation can be made between the
lynx population and the hare’s. If, however, there is no hare to be found, then it will
feed on small rodents or ground birds.
Easily recognizable, the Canadian lynx has a distinct splayed ruff that frames its
face, as well as vertical black ear tufts and a very short black-tipped tail. The coat
is normally a greyish-brown colour and the fur is often white-crested, displaying a
frosted appearance. It has long legs and the footpads are broad, and adaptable to snowy
conditions.
The Canadian lynx can be trapped legally in Canada, except Nova Scotia where it is
protected. Apart from New Brunswick, the Canadian lynx is not threatened.
Another North American feline is the bobcat. Although it shares the same
continent as the Canadian lynx, it is not found within the same snow-bound terrain.
The bobcat’s range includes southern Canada, western U.S. and parts of Mexico. They
tend to situate themselves in coniferous and mixed-forests, as well as swampy areas
and scrubland.
Like the Canadian lynx, the bobcat also enjoys hare. However, the bobcat is not dependent
on it and will move on if its preferred prey is scarce.
Compared to the Canadian lynx, the bobcat is generally smaller in size, has a smaller
ruff and smaller ear tufts. Its coat colouration varies from light grey to reddish
brown and is randomly striped and spotted. The tail is short and black-tipped on the
topside.
The bobcat has been placed on Appendix 2 by CITES.
SOUTH AMERICA
In South America, we stumble upon the kodkod, the smallest wildcat in the western hemisphere,
measuring about 50 centimetres in length. Found in Chile and parts of Argentina, this feline
prefers wooded areas and semi-open scrublands that are affiliated with moist, temperate-mixed
forests.
This small felid has a base coat colour that ranges from grey to reddish-brown, which is
darkly spotted.
In areas where there is human interaction, the kodkod is generally nocturnal or diurnal
in order to avoid contact with people.
The fate of this tiny South American cat is in the hands of the Chilean and Argentinean
governments, where this species is protected.
The oncilla is another very small wildcat native to South America, with a length
of about 75 centimetres. It resides in Costa Rica through to northern Argentina and prefers
sub-tropical forests.
Like the kodkod and the bobcat, the oncilla’s diet consists of rodents, birds, insects
and reptiles.
The coat ranges from light brown to a yellowish colour and, similar to the kodkod, is also
marked with dark spots.
The oncilla is only protected over part of its range, which doesn’t include Ecuador, Guyana,
Nicaragua and Peru, where hunting is allowed. CITES has placed this species on Appendix 1.
Two other South American wildcat species, the margay and the ocelot, share an interesting
trait with the oncilla-they have only 36 chromosomes, whereas most cats have 38 chromosomes.
AFRICA
Africa boasts the world’s fastest cat-and land animal — the cheetah. This wildcat roams grasslands
and the eastern and central plains of the continent. The name "cheetah" comes from a Hindu
word, meaning "spotted one."
The easily distinguishable coat of the cheetah is a yellowish-tan colour and is almost
entirely covered with solid-black round, or oval, spots. Another distinctive feature is a
black “tear mark” running from the inner eye area of each eye down to the corners
of the mouth.
The cheetah’s lifespan in the wild is much the same as North America’s bobcat, averaging
about 12 years. They are fully protected over most of their range and are listed on Appendix
1 of CITES.
With a range from the sub-Saharan Desert to India, the lion is the most sociable
of the wildcats. This African wildcat can be found in groups known as prides. These groups
can have anywhere from four to 12 related females, their young, and one to six males.
With a base fur colour of yellowish-brown and a long, dark brown mane, the lion can be seen
in a number of different habitats, but prefers grassy plains, scrub forests, and open woodlands.
The lion generally preys on large species, such as buffalo, zebras and wildebeasts. They
are known to hunt alone in the day and night, but are usually active in the evening.
One of the biggest threats to the lion is the loss of their habitat and therefore CITES
has placed them on Appendix 2.
Africa is also home to the leopard, although this particular cat does not limit
itself to this one region.
Of all the big cats, leopards are the most wide-spread, ranging from Africa to India, to
China and Borneo. They are extremely adaptable and can be found in nearly every habitat,
including deserts and rainforests.
Leopards have a variety of coat colours, ranging from yellow to chestnut. Even though the
leopard and the cheetah are very similar in appearances, they can be differentiated. Like
the cheetah, leopards also have black spots marking their coat. However, these spots more
rosette-shaped. Leopards do not have the "tear mark" of the cheetah and this diverse animal
is nocturnal, whereas cheetahs tend to be primarily diurnal.
Some wildcats, like the Canadian lynx and the cougar, will eat a portion of its prey, bury
it and return to it later for another meal. The leopard follows almost the same pattern,
except instead of burying the partially devoured prey it stores it in the forked branches
of trees to prevent any ground scavengers from discovering it.
The leopard is now very scarce in most parts of northern Africa and those in the southern
half are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
EURASIA
Having once dwelled in most of the forested areas throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle
East, the Eurasian lynx is the largest of the lynx species. However, due to deforestation and
the scarceness of prey, today it can only be found in parts of Europe, Greece and Czechoslovakia.
Generally, Eurasian lynxes are much larger than their Canadian cousins and are more distinctly
spotted. Also, they do not rely so heavily on hare as their main source of prey, as does
the Canadian lynx. They prefer roe and musk deer, but will also hunt small rodents.
The Eurasian lynx is equipped with large feet that act like snow shoes when travelling
through deep snow.
It is estimated that there are around 7,000 of this species left in Europe and, although
it is not endangered, CITES has listed it in Appendix 2.
The Siberian tiger is the largest and possibly the most easily recognizable of
all wildcats. Found in the harsh, cold climates of eastern Russia and northern China, the
Siberian tiger has a reddish base fur colour and is marked with dark, vertical stripes. The
underside is white and the long tail is covered with back rings. They have a layer of fat
around their stomach, which acts as insulation when the temperature drops below zero.
The Siberian tiger is most active at night, but are also diurnal when the presence of humans
in scarce.
This wildcat has been branded a man-eater, but this is a false accusation. They make a
habit of avoiding people and in the rare occasion that they do take a human life, it is usually
due to the fact that the tiger is old or ill and is unable to hunt for animal prey.
Unfortunately, the Siberian tiger is headed towards extinction, due to habitat destruction
and poaching. Their bones are and have been in demand for quite sometime because it is believed
they will cure certain ailments.
Due to the various threats, CITES has placed the Siberian tiger on Appendix 1.
The Iriomote cat is endemic to the small Japanese island of Iriomote-jima and can
normally be spotted in the lowland sub-tropical rainforest.
About the size of a domestic cat, the Iriomote species has a brown-base fur colour, which
is marked with dark spots in rows that merge to form lines on its flanks. This nocturnal
animal hunts from trees and feeds on fruit bats, wild pigs and rats.
There are believed to be fewer than 100 Iriomote cats left on the island, but that number
has been thought to have remained stable. Therefore, CITES has placed it on Appendix 2.
Nestled in the dense forest range of Borneo is one of the rarest cat species in the world-the
bay cat.
This particular species of cat is so rare biologists have not seen a living specimen. Most
of the information pertaining to the bay cat has been collected from skins and skulls of
dead species.
This brownish-coloured feline has a light golden-coloured underside and limbs that are
faintly spotted with dark marks. There are two dark lines stemming from the inner corners
of each eye.
It is estimated that there are about 50 bay cats left, but because of the rarity of this
species, vital information regarding it remains a mystery. CITES has placed it on Appendix
2, due to insufficient data.
With a range from Iran to southern Asia to part of western China, the Pallas’ cat,
named after the German naturalist, Peter Pallas, can be found in various habitats from rocky
terrains to cold deserts.
The Pallas’ cat’s fur is coarse and sandy to grey-coloured. In comparison with the Canadian
lynx, the Pallas’ cat’s hair is also white tipped, giving it a frosted look. Small rounded
ears sit on top of its round, broad head. There are two distinct black lines that run parallel
across its white ruff.
This nocturnal hunter consumes rodents, birds and insects and usually finds refuge in caves
and burrows.
Hunting this species is banned over most of its range and CITES has placed the Pallas’
cat on Appendix 2.
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