Varclaw Bengals
Saving Endangered Wildlife
Here at Varclaw we are dedicated to our Bengals at home as well as contributing our part in helping save endangered animals including big and small cats, many of them are highly endangered of becoming extinct. For every kitten sold we will donate a part towards saving endangered wildlife. Below are some links and information about a few threatened species of felines.
Amur Leopard
The Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is one of the world's most endangered cats. It is a solitary, nocturnal leopard that lives in the Amur River basin of eastern Russia. Now extinct from China and the Korean Peninsula, the few leopards that remain are critically endangered, and they are particularly vulnerable to extinction because Amur leopards have the lowest levels of genetic variation of any leopard subspecies.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, "The last remaining viable wild population, estimated 20-25 individuals, is found in a small area in the Russian Province of Primorsky Krai, between Vladivostok and the Chinese border. In adjacent China, 7-12 scattered individuals are estimated to remain. In South Korea, the last record of an Amur leopard dates back to 1969, when a leopard was captured on the slopes of Odo Mountain, in South Kyongsang Province.
Iberian Lynx
The Iberian lynx is the world's most endangered feline species. There are real fears that it may soon become the first cat species to become extinct for at least 2,000 years.
In the early 19th century the Iberian lynx was found in Spain, Portugal and Southern France. It has steadily declined since then, falling to the dangerously low levels today.
At the beginning of last decade there were only two isolated breeding populations of Iberian lynx remaining in the world, located in southern Spain, and totaling about 100 adult animals, with only 25 breeding females.
IUCN's assessment in 2007 stated that the numbers were not sufficient for the survival of the species in the long term , putting this wild cat on the brink of extinction.
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/species/profiles/mammals/iberian_lynx/
Andean Cat
The Andean cat is one of the rarest and least-known cats in the world. It lives high in the harsh climates of the Andes and Patagonia Mountains, where food is scarce and weather conditions are extreme.
This small, sturdy cat is difficult to find – there have been only ten recorded sightings in 25 years – and even harder to study.
The Andean Cat Alliance, which operates across Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru, the countries where the cat lives, has risen to this challenge. Members of the Alliance devote their time and energy to saving an animal that most of them may never be able to see.
Habitat loss and habitat degradation due to mining, water extraction, unregulated tourism and agricultural practices threaten the cat, as does hunting.
Snow Leopard
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a large species of cat that roams the mountain ranges of central and southern Asia. The snow leopard is well adapted for the cold temperatures of its high-altitude habitat.
Snow leopards are often killed by local farmers because they prey on livestock such as sheep, goats, horses, and yak calves. The animals which snow leopards would typically hunt—such as the Argali sheep—are also hunted by local communities. As their natural prey becomes harder to find, snow leopards are forced to kill livestock for survival.
These endangered cats appear to be in dramatic decline because of such killings, and due to poaching driven by illegal trades in pelts and in body parts used for traditional Chinese medicine. Vanishing habitat and the decline of the cats' large mammal prey are also contributing factors.
Clouded Leopard
Clouded leopards are two species of wild cat that live throughout the forests of Southeast Asia. The smallest of the big cats, they are secretive and rare in the wild, preferring to remain alone and hidden from view.
Deforestation in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia is the most serious threat to the clouded leopard. The species natural habitat has been fragmented and decreasing at a rate of 10% per year since 1997.
The clouded leopard is widely hunted for its teeth and decorative pelt, and for bones for the traditional Asian medicinal trade. Clouded leopard pelts have been reported on sale in markets in China, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal and Thailand. They have also been featured on the menu of restaurants in Thailand and China which cater to wealthy Asian tourists.
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/clouded_leopard/
Varclaw Bengals
EMAIL: varclaw@gmail.com
