New Records of the Andean Cat ( Leopardus jacobita ) in the Central Andes of Chile: Filling Gaps in the Distribution Range through Private-Social Partnerships

• Published in: Animals (Basel) 2022-03, Vol.12 (5), p.639
• Main Authors: Zapararte, María Belén, Napolitano, Constanza, Sapaj-Aguilera, Martín, Dinges, Tomás, Kenrick, Catherine, Llerena-Reátegui, Gabriel, Tellaeche, Cintia Gisele, Palacios, Rocío
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Altitude; Andean cat; Arid zones; Biodiversity; Biological evolution; Birds; Brief Report; Cameras; Cats; central Andes of Chile; Conservation; endangered; Endangered & extinct species; Endangered species; Evolution; Fragility; Gene flow; Genetic analysis; Geographical distribution; Leopardus jacobita; Leopardus jacobitus; Monitoring; National parks; New records; Partnerships; Populations; Protected areas; Rare species; Species extinction; Success; Wetlands; Wildlife conservation
• ISSN: 2076-2615; 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/ani12050639

The Andean cat ( ) is one of the most endangered and least known wild cat species in the Americas and the world in general. We describe new records of the Andean cat in the central Andes of Chile, in Parque Andino Juncal, obtained as part of a monitoring program conducted from December 2020 to May 2021 using eight trail cameras. The cameras were active for 135 days (sampling effort 1080 camera-trap days). We recorded Andean cats in two different cameras, corresponding to two independent events in January and March 2021, respectively (0.19% capture success). Our new records are relevant since they fill a gap on the species distribution map, specifically in the area located between the two previously identified evolutionarily significant units (ESU) (26-35° S) which has been prioritized by the Andean Cat Alliance (AGA). We highlight the relevance of private protected areas in ecosystems of high biodiversity and fragility such as Parque Andino Juncal and also of strategic private-social partnerships for successful collaborative efforts to monitor the presence of rare, elusive, and endangered species. Our next steps will be to collect scats from this newly identified site and conduct genetic analyses to determine whether these animals are part of previously identified ESUs or a yet unidentified potentially distinct ESU or MU requiring special conservation measures.