Patagonia Wild Cats Project

In Argentina's Patagonia, wild felids like pumas (Puma concolor), Geoffroy’s cats (Leopardus geoffroyi), and pampas cats (Leopardus colocolo) face mounting threats from overgrazing and hunting. As one of the world’s top sheep wool exporters, Argentina’s Patagonian steppe has extensive sheep ranches, which have significantly transformed the landscape. Land clearing for these ranches has reduced natural vegetation and displaced native herbivores like guanacos, often leading to conflict with ranchers when wild felids prey on livestock. 

The need for this project is clear: despite the pressures on these felids, we still lack essential data on their distribution and behavior, which limits our ability to manage and reduce human-felid conflicts effectively.

Project Goals

1. Assess Threats: Quantify the impact of ranching activities on pampas cats and Geoffroy’s cats, including factors driving conflict with humans.
2. Map Conflict Factors: Identify environmental and human factors contributing to wild felid presence and conflict hotspots, supporting managers in predicting future conflict areas.
   
   
3. Test Mitigation Methods: Evaluate non-lethal techniques to prevent livestock predation.
   
   
4. Community Outreach: Raise awareness of wild cats' ecological roles in Patagonia among local communities.

Our Methods

• Camera Trap Surveys: Monitor wild cat populations in protected areas and ranchlands, helping to map species distributions across Santa Cruz province.
  
  
• Local Collaboration: Work with rangers and local communities to implement and test conflict mitigation measures.
  
  
• Community Engagement: Conduct interviews and workshops with residents and officials, fostering collaboration.
  
  
• Technology for Data Collection: Develop a mobile app for ranchers to report felid sightings and depredation events, enabling data collection and conflict mitigation directly from the field.
  
  
• Mitigation Strategies: Assess the effectiveness of non-lethal techniques like fox lights and livestock protection dogs to reduce conflicts with felids.
    

Why This Matters

The Patagonia Wild Cat Project's data collection and community engagement will provide vital insights into felid distribution and conflict trends in Patagonia, essential for designing effective conflict mitigation strategies and promoting coexistence within this sensitive ecosystem.