The GECM has already carried out three ecological surveys in the easternmost part of the Andean cat distribution in Argentina, which gave data on food habits, habitat selection in comparison to the other sympatric carnivores and the factors affecting its distribution. Several other surveys, in Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, have reported the presence of this cat in other Andean regions, but density appears extremely low and distribution highly fragmented. Our main aim is contributing to the long-term conservation of the Andean cat, both through direct conservation actions and research. Since no conservation project may succeed without the support of local people, we aim to attain their involvement in our project as conservation agents and as sources of invaluable information. The actual presence and relative abundance of the Andean cat will be finally tested through field surveys, which will adopt the sampling techniques we already used on our preliminary campaigns.
Photos Here is a photo of the study site.
Here is another photo of the site. Return to the Wild About Cats homepage.