Page 50 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #06

AGENDA NEWS

Q EXPERT BRIEFING
CONSERVATION

INSIGHT

MARBLED CAT

WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
THIS ELUSIVE FELINE TO KNOW ITS
PRECISE CONSERVATION STATUS,
SAYS PRIYA SINGH.

he marbled cat has a vast wildlife. New data suggests they A marbled cat in Neora
distribution that spans fare well in low-disturbance, Valley National Park, India.
The elusive feline has a
Tthe forested landscapes primary lowland forests and
long, thick tail and large
of South and Southeast Asia, selectively logged areas but paws, which likely support
from Nepal to Vietnam. It’s appear to avoid oil palm an arboreal lifestyle.
found in parts of northeast plantations. The elusive felines
India and southwest China and are small (weighing 5kg or less),
is known to occur on the islands infrequently encountered and
of Sumatra and Borneo. Its are likely to spend a large
range includes forest networks amount of time in forest
that are either in geographically canopies, where
challenging or politically they’re tricky to spot. MARBLED
unstable areas, which makes it Habitat loss due
very challenging to research. to deforestation and ` CATS ARE
The two most recent studies conversion of forests DIFFICULT TO
of the species have published to plantations may
population estimates of between be one the greatest STUDY BECAUSE
seven and 20 individuals per threats to marbled THEY TEND TO
2
100km in three areas of Borneo cats. Hunting and BE FOUND IN
snaring of the
and five per 100km in a site in
2
Marbled cat: Dhritiman Mukherjee; map source: IUCN distributional area, the global reported. We know
DENSE FOREST.”
species is also
northeast India. Given its large
population is presumed to be
so little about these
cats that it’s hard to predict how
more than 10,000 mature
hunting and land use changes
individuals, resulting in a status
may be affecting their
that is closer to Vulnerable.
Marbled cats are very difficult
population and behaviour.
to study because they tend to be
Conservation programmes
aimed at umbrella species such
found in dense, tropical forests
as the tiger, allow for better
that are poorly explored for
protection of wildlife habitats,
which could be benefitting the
marbled cat. But more urgent
I N D I A
research is needed to accurately
determine this particular feline
species’ conservation status
B A Y O F for the future.
B E N G A L
PRIYA SINGH is a member of
Researchers for Wildlife Conservation.
+ FIND OUT MORE
Cat Specialist Group
Marbled cat range https://bit.ly/2Ho3XsP

50 BBC Wildlife June 2018