Cat SG

The Specialist Groups perform species assessments for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species^TM, and produce species action plans and policy guidelines. These groups also provide information for the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, which is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and advise governments that are party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The Cat Specialist Group is active in many of its own initiatives, focusing on the development of tools for the assessment of the species’ status, on the compilation and distribution of intelligence and on supporting the work of its members. A central concern is to promote the dialogue among scientists and practitioners throughout the world. The group believes that cooperation and sharing of knowledge are critical for the conservation of the wild cats.

The Cat Specialist Group is responsible for the global monitoring and conservation of all 40 wild living cat species.

The main tasks include:

• maintaining the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species^TM for the cat species;
• advising governmental and private organisations engaged in species conservation;
• developing conservation strategies and action plans;
• establishing and distributing information on the status and conservation; needs of all wild cat species through an own publication series Cat News and the Cat SG website;
• education and training of nature conservation experts (capacity development).