The Andean Cat

The Andean cat it's a solitary feline of small size, a little larger than a domestic cat, his scientific
name is Leopardus jacobita is one of the most beautiful of all wild cats. The fur is mainly ash
grey with brown-yellowish blotches that are distributed as vertical lines at both sides of the
body, giving the appearance of continuous stripes.

it's a solitary feline of small size, a little larger than a domestic cat.

Habitat:
The Andean cat occurs mainly in the high Andes of Peru and Bolivia, the north of Chile and
northern Argentina up to 5,000 meters. Recently it has been found outside the Andes, in the
Patagonian steppe and scrub habitats at much lower altitudes (as low as 650 meters).

Valleys with patchily distributed rock walls are the preferred habitat. Rock piles and boulders
are the only type of cover available at such altitudes and are also important for its main prey
species. The habitat of the Andean cat is naturally fragmented. Because of the uneven
distribution of its prey, it is quite patchily distributed and populations are not connected.

Threats:
 habitat loss and fragmentation, caused by extensive mining, resource extraction for
fuel, expansion of agricultural activity and inadequate livestock management
 hunted for fur and dried and stuffed specimens used for spiritual ceremonies – the
Andean cat is considered sacred to indigenous communities and associated with rich
harvests, abundance and fertility of livestock, transferring of supernatural power to
hunters
 hunted for food and traditional medicine in Peru; heavily hunted in northern Patagonia
as predators of small domestic livestock
 prey reduction due to hunting of its main prey species – mountain vizcacha lives in
patchily distributed small colonies but is hunted for meat and fur and the population is
declining.
Solutions to avoiding his extinction:
To prevent the extinction of this Andean feline, the Andean Cat Alliance works in three lines of
action: Education and awareness from people at the situation, research and conservation of
the species, if people realizing these actions are successful expected that in the next few years,
Andean cats will cease to endangered.