| ..... |
| Small Cat Conservation Alliance |
SCCA can be reached by sending e-mail to Jim Sanderson at gato_andino@yahoo.com.
Many observations have proved to be very valuable. For instance, a photographer
traveling in Sabah, Borneo observed and photographed a Flat-headed cat walking
along a river at night.
Some reports that Jim responds to are unfounded but consume a lot of time and
sometimes create bad feelings. For instance, a woman reported about her observation
of an Andean cat in her backyard in a Virginia neighborhood. If you see what looks
like a small cat far outside its known geographic range - like an extremely rare high
elevation cat from South America - walking around in your backyard in Nebraska please
stop smoking whatever it is your smoking and get a picture.
Many observations have proved to be very valuable. For instance, a photographer
traveling in Sabah, Borneo observed and photographed a Flat-headed cat walking
along a river at night.
Some reports that Jim responds to are unfounded but consume a lot of time and
sometimes create bad feelings. For instance, a woman reported about her observation
of an Andean cat in her backyard in a Virginia neighborhood. If you see what looks
like a small cat far outside its known geographic range - like an extremely rare high
elevation cat from South America - walking around in your backyard in Nebraska please
stop smoking whatever it is your smoking and get a picture.
| ..... |
The best way to contact SCCA is to send e-mail to gato_andino@yahoo.com. Give Jim a chance to
respond because he might be in the field working.
respond because he might be in the field working.
Contact SCCA
Jim is often asked two questions that require explanation here.
(1) How many species of wild cats are there?
(2) How many, let's say Andean cats, are there in the wild?
To ask the first question demonstrates a naive understanding of biodiversity generally,
and of wild cat diversity specifically. Though cat specialists will likely always debate
just how many species of wild cats there are, it's the population that matters because
populations, not individuals or species, evolve. Thus, whether there are 30 or 50
species, does not matter. Each population of wild cat has a right to exist. Thus a
better question is: how many populations of each species of wild cat exists, and what
are we doing to ensure each continues to exist?
The answer to the second question is another simpler question: How many domestic
cats are there in Washington, DC? Not even Homeland Security can answer that one.
If we know the answer then it's likely that species is of conservation concern.
(1) How many species of wild cats are there?
(2) How many, let's say Andean cats, are there in the wild?
To ask the first question demonstrates a naive understanding of biodiversity generally,
and of wild cat diversity specifically. Though cat specialists will likely always debate
just how many species of wild cats there are, it's the population that matters because
populations, not individuals or species, evolve. Thus, whether there are 30 or 50
species, does not matter. Each population of wild cat has a right to exist. Thus a
better question is: how many populations of each species of wild cat exists, and what
are we doing to ensure each continues to exist?
The answer to the second question is another simpler question: How many domestic
cats are there in Washington, DC? Not even Homeland Security can answer that one.
If we know the answer then it's likely that species is of conservation concern.