WCN Wildlife Conservation Network | Small Cat Conservation Alliance

Jim Sanderson, Photo: Anne Sophi Bertrand

Dr. Jim Sanderson

After a 20-year career as a top Los Alamos National Laboratory mathematician, Dr. Jim Sanderson left his job to study biology and ecology. He traveled to Chile to study an endangered small cat called the guigna, and soon he was tracking elusive small cat species around the world. He has become one of the world's foremost experts on small wild felines and founded Small Cat Conservation Alliance in 1996.

Threats

There are 36 recognized species of cats in the world. Most people are familiar with the big cats - lion, tiger, cheetah, leopard, etc., and medium-sized cats like bobcat and lynx, but few people could name the 22 smaller cats. Like their bigger cousins, small cats are threatened by the loss of valuable habitat and prey, indiscriminant killing, and conflict with humans, livestock and domestic animals.

Solutions

SCCA fosters collaboration among local scientists and volunteers working to protect small cats in remote regions throughout the world. They collect valuable data that can be compiled into a larger database of information on small cats. With this information, SCCA is able to seek endangered species classification and work with local residents to protect the feline treasures in their midst.

The World’s First Andean Cat Conservation and Monitoring Center

Dr. Jim Sanderson, in collaboration with generous supporters that include Mohamed bin Zayed Conservation Fund and Feline Conservation Federation, is undertaking an ambitious plan to bring about the first permanent research center for the Andean Cat in Chile. CONAF, the Chilean government agency responsible for managing national parks and production forests, has graciously donated a building
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