#Wild CATS

[justcatposts]

Yawning is so contagious

(Source)

[jadeseadragon]

Repost @pazispallas

Tiina & her minuls

"The minuls were having a hard time figuring out their scratching mat, until mama Tiina stepped in to show them how it’s done. Now, they’re pros just like her!"

[coulsonlives]

three degrees of done

[icecreamwithjackdaniels]

William Huggins (British, 1820–1884), "Dozing Lion"

[reasonsforhope]

"One of the world's rarest cats, the Iberian lynx, is no longer classed as endangered, according to a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

On Thursday [June 20, 2024], the IUCN, which categorises species according to the level of risk they face in a "red list", bumped the Iberian lynx from "endangered" to "vulnerable" after a significant surge in numbers.

Its population grew from 62 mature individuals in 2001 to 648 in 2022. While young and mature lynx combined now have an estimated population of more than 2,000, the IUCN reports.

As the name suggests, the wild cat species calls the Iberian region - Spain and Portugal - home.

According to the latest census data, there were a total of 14 clusters where the animals were stable and reproducing. Of those, 13 were located in Spain and one in Portugal.

The wild cat used to be common across the whole of the Iberian Peninsula, but from the 1960s its numbers plummeted.

Habitat loss, poaching and road accidents all helped to push the species to the brink of extinction.

Now, the cat is coming back.

The increase is largely thanks to conservation efforts that have focused on increasing the abundance of its main food source - the also endangered wild rabbit, known as European rabbit.

Programmes to free hundreds of captive lynxes and restoring scrublands and forests have also played an important role in ensuring the lynx is no longer endangered.

Francisco Javier Salcedo Ortiz, a coordinator responsible for leading the conservation action, described it as the "greatest recovery of a cat species ever achieved through conservation".

Mr Ortiz said there was still "a lot of work to do" to ensure the animals survive and the species can recover.

"Looking ahead, there are plans to reintroduce the Iberian lynx to new sites in central and northern Spain,” he added.

The area the species occupies is now much larger, according to IUCN, jumping from 449 sq km (173 sq miles) in 2005 to 3,320 sq km today."

-via BBC News, June 20, 2024

[120daysofsodomm]

[nocturnal-stims]

Margays are small felines that spend most of their lives in the trees. Margays can rotate their ankles 180 degrees, allowing them to climb down trees headfirst. They have been observed jumping up to 12 feet horizontally and have been known to mimic the voices of infant monkeys so they can eat the parents.

🐾 1minuteanimals on IG

[joyousjoyfuljoyness]

Pallas's Cats are my favorite, so grumpy!

They hate having their paws cold in the snow, so they stand on them.

[yiling-on-crack]

Snow leopards are the goofiest big cats ever. Like every picture I see of is the most chaotic thing ever. Also they are so jumpy. A thread

Feel free to add more

[taimira]

The cub lived for only a few weeks, and yet it never knew how important it will become in the far future. Thank you, little cat, for giving us another glimpse of your beautiful species that once roamed the Earth.

Inspired by a relatively recent discovery of a homotherium cub mummy. The first snow has fallen in my town, so I've also got a little mood from that.

[annuskabriar]

the first of the series, africa's small wild cats!! available for a print here and as a sticker pack here!