Stealing Beauty. Red Listed Wild Cats That Are Nearly Extinct in the Wild
Iberian lynx
It’s a critically endangered species inhabiting the Southwestern Europe. According to information from 2013 there are 309 Iberian lynx living in the Spanish province of Andalucía.
Serval
Servals can be recognized by their in-proportionally small heads. It inhabits Central and South Africa, but the range is currently reduced by humans.
Margay
Margay is a small cat living in Central and South America. They were a respected property of wildlife collectors in 90s, so many of them were illegally carried out to private zoos.
Oncilla
This spotted small cat is jokingly called ‘tigrillo’. It’s listed as vulnerable. Oncilla is a nocturnal species living in Central and South America.
Pallas’s cat
Pallas’s cat or manul is a must-see animal. There are less than 10,000 individuals in the wild. They live mostly in Mongolia and across the Tibetan plateau.
Indian Lion
They live in the wild only in India’s Gujarat State, but their population is stably increasing the Gir Forest National Park, it is currently estimated at 411 individuals, but nevertheless it’s listed as endangered.
Anatolian Leopard
For about two decades Anatolian leopard was believed to be extinct, but in 2013 one of them was spotted on a camera trap. The species lives in some Turkish regions.
Amur Leopard
It is believed that only 30 individuals are left in Russia near the Chinese border.
Next time you play with your kitty on the cozy sofa, remember that there are many species of cats out there.
What do you think?