Andean Mountain Cat: The Ghost of the Andes
Did you know there are less than 1,500 Andean Mountain Cats left in the world?
Who are these adorable creatures and how have we failed them? Well, it doesn't help that these cats are extremely hard to come across, making it extremely hard for scientists to study and protect them.
Fun Fact: These mostly nocturneal animals have only 10 recorded sitings in the past 25 years. Andean cats are one of the least-known and rarest cats in the world.
Fun Fact: The Andean cat shares its habitats with Pampas cats, who are doing much better as a species with a wider variety of prey and a larger population.
Fun Fact: Did you know chinchillas are endangered? Please check out my last blog post to find out more. It's interesting how things come full circle.
So What and Why Care?
If Andean cats went extinct the rodent population would overpopulate and would destroy local crops and eat up the vegetation in local habitats (having negative impacts on the ecosystem).
Also, we have so much to learn! According to Dr. Rocio Palacios of Andean Cat Alliance,
"Most AGA staff members have never laid eyes on an Andean cat - it is so scarce and elusive that it is almost a ghostl. The Andean cat represents all that is wild in the Andes, and by conserving it we are preserving one of earth's last wild places, the expansive high-altitude Andean mountain habitat."
More time is needed to study the ghost of the Andes, and that only happens if they survive. How can you tell your friends and family that ghost are real if they become extinct?
Cause of Decline
Mining & Water Extraction
Mining and resource extraction (water) is extremely disruptive to any habitat and has had a significant toll on this species.
Unregulated Tourism
It's not their fault that they're so cute, but human curiosity and adornment have endangered this species. Unregulated tourism and uneducated/dangerous human interactions have contributed to the endangerment of the species.
We as a species need to learn how to leave things alone, even if they're adorable.
Farming & Agriculture
The expansion of agriculture has encroached on the territory of Andean cats. Inadequate livestock management is also a contributing factor to the decline of the species.
Hunting
The species is hunted for meat, fur, and medicine, and in northern Patagonia as predators of small domestic livestock. In some Indigenous communities, the Andean cat is used in spiritual ceremonies for good luck (rich harvest, etc).
Not only has the hunting of Andean Mountain cats declined their species, but it has made their once primary food source (chinchillas) extinct!
Fun Fact: The habitats of some male Andean cats reach the size of 5,000 soccer fields.
Conservation Efforts
Hunting bans are enacted in Peru, Chile, and Argentina with less specific regulations in Bolivia.
The Andean Cat Conservation Action Plan was developed in 2004. This document contains information on the perceptions of local people and protected areas (where the species' presence is confirmed or suspected. The three main actions of this plan are research, education, and conservation management.
Additionally, the Andean Cat Alliance (AGA) has multiple programs and conservation strategies including:
How Geographic Tools Help
The Andean Cat Conservation Action Plan calls for the completion of a distribution map to help guide conservation actions necessary and protect against habitat loss. Mapping the habitat of the Ghost of the Andes will help significantly in the conservation of the endangered species. Because sitings of the animal are rare, there are only a couple (literally, like 2) cats that are radio-tracked. It also doesn't help that the species is very fragmented.
Overcoming geographic challenges could hopefully help scientists begin to increase the population of the 1,500> species.
How You Can Help!
1. Donate to the Andean Cat Alliance (AGA)
This organization has made great strides in the research and conservation of the Andean Mountain cat. Please support by donating now!
2. Share These Video
Share real evidence of ghosts with family and friends! The increase in awareness of this species could help tremendously in the conservation of this beautiful cat.
3. Buy Less or No Gold
Unlike me, if you can afford gold please consider the negative environmental and conservation effects the industry has on the world. It destroys habitats for hundreds of animals and has contributed significantly to the decline of species, that now sit on the haunting endangered species list.
4. Become an Educated Tourist
If you ever plan to visit the Andes, please educate yourself. Take one of the Andean Cat Alliance's (AGA's) education modules before you take your hike or visit in the Andes mountains.
5. Follow the Andean Cat Alliance on Instagram
Here is another way to spread awareness, stay updated, and become educated on the species.
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