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Protecting the African golden cat

The African golden cat is a little-known and elusive felid that inhabits the tropical forests of Africa. Being dependent on those forests means that this cat faces threats such as deforestation and bushmeat hunting that are widespread across forested Africa. Our team has carried out the first assessment of their populations, and has further evaluated the effects of human activities, including bushmeat hunting and logging, on golden cat populations. The good news is that golden cats are not naturally rare, as was once thought. However, bushmeat hunting is quick to deplete golden cat numbers, with wire snares posing a significant risk to the species. You can access the results of the study here: http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Syc01R~e3CIt.

Dr Laila Bahaa-el-din, who led the study for her doctoral research said, “While we would urge that the logging of primary forests be avoided where possible, we also know that it will continue to occur in many areas. It is in this light that our study’s main recommendation is that logging concessions be included within the conservation estate. Logging concessions cover a far greater area than protected areas. These logging concessions are home to many threatened forest species, and if there were greater pressure to make logging less damaging, and to secure these areas post-extraction, these species could thrive, as could the African golden cat.”