The Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita) is one of the most threatened felines in the world and the only one categorized as Endangered in the Americas, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Its populations have a low density and are fragmented, two factors that make it particularly vulnerable. Until recently, the Andean cat was only known to exist at elevations above 3,600 m in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. But in 2005, it was recorded in northwestern Argentine Patagonia for the first time, at 1,800 m, and we recently recorded it in lands as low as 650 m. Thanks to genetic studies, we discovered that the Patagonian and Altiplano cats make up two different populations, with limited exchanges in the past 200,000 years, meaning they should be considered two separate evolutionary units. 

Challenges

The main threat the species faces in Patagonia is hunting by farmers to avoid loss of livestock or in retaliation for predation. Other factors that endanger it are overgrazing by livestock, which reduces the density of its main prey, the mountain viscacha, and loss of habitat due to oil and mineral extraction, and the increase in temperature and aridity due to climate change. Considering its critical conservation status, over the past two decades we have worked to understand and conserve this species within and outside of the protected areas where it has been recorded. 

Our Work

Since 2005, we have been working to research this species and complete our knowledge of its distribution and the threats it faces, adding new records of live animals detected with camera traps and sightings by residents and tourists.

This work allows us to identify priority areas, both within and outside protected areas, in order to implement conservation measures and measures for the species' coexistence with livestock activities and the regeneration of the environments in which it lives.

Together with livestock producers in the Patagonian steppe, we  implement regenerative livestock strategies to conserve grasslands and research the effectiveness of different techniques for protecting livestock and minimizing conflicts with carnivores and scavengers, including the use of mixed-breed livestock guardian dogs.. 
By contributing to nature through the adoption of these methods, producers can obtain Wildlife Friendly® International Certification for their natural fibers and other livestock products. Furthermore, given the prevalence of oil and mineral extraction in northern Patagonia, we seek to expand our work with government agencies and private companies to address the conservation needs of the Andean cat and, in particular, to preserve the rocky areas that are essential for the mountain viscacha.