Editorial

At the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona in October 2008, the Iberian lynx was one of the standard-bearers, and the only cat species listed as Critically Endangered is also the frontispiece of the 2008 edition of the IUCN Red List launched in Barcelona. In the light of the charismatic endangered species in the Red List, another up-listing went almost unnoticed: The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus is now Near Threatened: This species is a widespread colonizer and is considered a pest outside its natural range, where eradication of the rabbit is priority for conservation. Within its natural range, almost exclusively the Iberian Peninsula, however, populations have declined an estimated 95% since 1950, due to disease, habitat loss, and human induced mortality. O. cuniculus nearly meets the Red List Criteria for Vulnerable (www.redlist.org). As a matter of fact, in southern Spain, where the last strongholds of the Iberian lynx are found, the rabbit is partially too rare to allow for the presence, leaving alone the reproduction of lynx.

continue ...

Contents & Articles

An overview over the content and summaries of selected articles from this volume.

continue ...

FRIENDS OF THE CAT SPECIALIST GROUP

Membership

The Cat Specialist Group consists of leading international scientists and wildlife managers involved with the 36 species of wild cats. It is one of over 120 similar specialist groups forming part of the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Members serve as honorary advisers to the Union and recommend listings for the Red List of Threatened Animals. They provide data on wild animals and plants for the United Nations Environment Programme/World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge, England, and advise governments which are Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The Cat Specialist Group does not manage projects, but, in their individual capacities, members are involved in research and in the development and implementation of conservation programmes and projects.

FRIENDS OF THE CAT SPECIALIST GROUP has been set up to enable those interested in furthering the conservation of wild cats to contribute to a fund to pay for production of CAT NEWS and for any other purpose which will advance the aims of the group.

To become a Friend of the Cat SG where you receive Cat News use the membership form.