WCN Wildlife Conservation Network

Leadership

The leadership of the Andean Cat Alliance reflects its character as a multinational coalition dedicated to the conservation of the feline throughout its four-country range. Rocio Palacios, a biologist from Argentina, serves as General Coordinator. The Assistant Coordinators are Lilián Villalba of Bolivia and Dr. Mauro Lucherini of Argentina. Each country has a Representative, and there is a Working Group Coordinator for each program area.

Stuffed Andean cat, Photo: Mauro Lucherini

Threats

The Andean cat is the most endangered cat species in the Americas. It lives exclusively in the high-altitude deserts of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. Only slightly larger than a domestic cat, it is sometimes killed under the misconception of being dangerous. Some local people use stuffed cats and skins in traditional dances and religious ceremonies and believe that killing a cat will bring good fortune.

Children's education program in Argentina, Photo: Elaine Iverson

Solutions

The Andean Cat Alliance, Alianza Gato Andino (AGA), works to protect the Andean cat in all four range countries. Conservationists from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru established the Alliance and produced a Conservation Action Plan in 2004. Collaboratively, they review current threats to the cat and coordinate conservation activities. Participation by local community members drives AGA's education and research programs.

Dedication to the Job

During field activities that took place in October 2008, an enthusiastic group of 11 park rangers attended a hands-on capacity building course in the Patagonia region of Argentina. This group was particularly interested in conservation. Some of the interactive activities included scat identification and a short play that simulated a real-life scenario with the local community.

During the field training there was an incident; one of the More