CatSG

Terms of References for Cat SG members

Asiatic wildcat (Felis lybica ornata)

Mission of the Cat SG

  • To support the long-term conservation of the wild living cat species, their habitats and prey populations through continuous monitoring and assessment, facilitation of conservation strategies at range-wide and regional level, and promoting the implementation of conservation activities. This is achieved through information-sharing within the network, identification of conservation needs and priorities and reaching out to relevant governmental or non-governmental players in cat conservation.

Objectives

  1. To assess the conservation status of and threats to all felids (wild living cat species) in their entire range and at regional level through the Red List Assessment and the Green Status Assessments.
  2. To help develop or update conservation strategies and action plans at range-wide and regional level according to IUCN SSC standards in cooperation with international conventions, governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations and scientific institutions.
  3. To facilitate and promote the implementation of conservation activities based on the above-mentioned strategies and action plans and to support the monitoring of the effectiveness of these activities.
  4. To provide scientific robust and technical information and advice to the above-mentioned partners and other stakeholders, and promote the exchange of information between science-based cat conservation and practical actors to support the conservation of felids world-wide.
  5. To continuously expand and improve the network through improved communication and sharing of information, develop capacities and recruit new members in under-represented regions, and establish and maintain contacts to governmental and non-governmental partners in cat conservation.

Member's Responsibilities

All members of the Cat Specialist Group are members of the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN and the Terms of Reference 2021-2025 for Commission Members are binding. The following points specify responsibilities for members of the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group:

  1. To provide information and help analysing available data to assess the status and conservation needs of felids in the frame of the IUCN Red List assessment and the Green Status Assessment.
  2. To contribute to the identification of priorities for research, management and conservation and support the development of specific conservation strategies and action plans for cat species wherever needed.
  3. To share information relevant for cat conservation through contributions to Cat News, the Cat SG website, the Digital Cat Library and for the Cat SG social media outreach, including the provision of information, stories, photos, etc.
  4. To respond promptly to invitations by the Co-chairs and the Red List Authority Coordinator requesting information and participate in assessment tasks and special projects of the group.
  5. To provide updated contact details, and to ensure the flow and distribution of relevant information from their work across the network