The reintroduction and conservation of the Eurasian lynx on continental Europe is considered an example of successful large carnivore restoration in a human-dominated landscape. However, half a century after the first releases, the recovery is far from being completed. All reintroduced populations are still small and isolated, and several of the oldest reintroduced populations suffer from inbreeding. This is owed to biological features of the species (philopatric females), the highly fragmented landscape, but also inadequate design and coordination of reintroduction
projects.

In 2019, lynx experts met in Bonn to review the situation of the Eurasian lynx on continental Europe and to develop recommendations for the way forward (see Cat News Special Issue 14/2021). It was then agreed to meet again in a year to further advance the discussion and cooperation, but then, the Covid-19 pandemic impeded such meetings. Now, with a delay of three years, the lynx folks met in Wöltingerode, Germany, where the National Park Harz Mountains organised a symposium to remember the reintroduction of the lynx in 2000. In a subsequent two-day workshop, lynx experts from west and central European countries discussed lynx conservation and recovery in the “realm of the Carpathian lynx”.

Lynx is a complicated species. As the northernmost cat, it has been repeatedly shaped by the Pleistocene glaciation periods. As a consequence, there are three subspecies living only on continental Europe: The northern lynx, Lynx lynx lynx, on the lowlands of north-eastern Europe, the Carpathian lynx L. l. carpathicus in the Carpathian Mountains, and the Balkan lynx L. l. balcanicus in the mountains of the south-western Balkan Peninsula.

When the reintroductions started more than 50 years ago, the initiators released wild-caught lynx from the nearest population in Slovakia to Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, France, or Czechia. In most cases, only very few animals (from 2 to 20)
were released. Anthropogenic mortality was high and population growth mostly slow, so that drift and inbreeding reduced the genetic base further. The autochthonous population in the Carpathians itself had been considerably reduced in the first
decades of the 20^th century, and it is today likely split into a northern (Slovakia and surroundings) and southern (mainly Romania) population as the distribution in the Ukrainian part of the range may no longer be continuous.

This situation requires a more innovative approach and especially much more cooperation and coordination. The experts at the meeting agreed on the “realm of the Carpathian lynx”, which does not only encompass the historic range of the subspecies,
but also mountainous region of West and Central Europe. The “Carpathian Lynx Working Group” has outlined a strategic approach for the conservation of the lynx in this realm, is now developing a series of protocols to support the implementation
of reintroduction and reinforcement projects, and is seeking the cooperation with all countries concerned and international conventions involved in conserving Europe’s wildlife. The latter will include the Council of Europe's Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention), the Carpathian Convention, the Alpine Convention, and possibly the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS, also known as the Bonn Convention).

An important aspect of the conservation of the Carpathian lynx is sourcing of animals for translocations and releases. Traditionally, wild-caught lynx from Slovakia were used. In more recent times, animals from reintroduced populations or orphan
lynx suited for rehabilitation were translocated, and captive-born lynx were released. The latter source is rather controversial. Although experience has demonstrated that lynx born in zoos or in wildlife parks can adopt to living free, the unclear genetic background of the zoo population and the lack of a specific breeding and training programme was criticised. This is now taken care of through genetic testing of animals used for breeding for releases, a specific management protocol for such breeding, and a number of special enclosures where young lynx will be prepared for living in the wild. The ultimate goals of the efforts are to create large network of Carpathian lynx autochthonous and reintroduced populations in West and Central mountainous Europe and to optimise the genetic constellation of this metapopulation.

U. Breitenmoser

This review paper describes the overall status, distribution, threats, and conservation initiatives of tigers Panthera tigris tigris inside the Sarpang district of Bhutan. This systematic review suggests pertinent management initiatives against each identified
threat to ensure long-term conservation of tigers in the southern central landscape of Sarpang district in Bhutan.

Asiatic wildcat Felis lybica ornata has never been recorded historically in Nepal
except for the pelts in illegal market but its possible occurrence has been reported
in recent years. Here, we present a camera trap picture resembling Asiatic wildcat
phenotypically from forests connected to Chitwan National Park, Nepal obtained during the national tiger survey 2022. From a stack of 40,111 photographs of 35 mammal species obtained with an effort of 8,529 trap days in Chitwan National Park and adjoining forests, a single photograph of the cat was obtained from a location in the community-managed forest. The record of Asiatic wildcat on the camera trap opens a new avenue for wildcat conservation and research in Nepal. We presented the phenotypic evidence of the Asiatic wildcat and suggest for species confirmation through genetic methods. Conservation efforts targeting small cats should be prioritised for ensuring their long-term survival.

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Table T1

We report here photographic evidence of the occurrence of tigers Panthera tigris from the Dehradun Forest Division, Uttarakhand, India. These tigers were photo captured in the months of September–December 2021. These records suggest that tigers have persisted or recolonised the Himalayan ranges and adjoining lowlands west of the river Ganga, even though Western Rajaji Tiger Reserve has been assumed to be the sole tiger population west of the Ganga River in recent decades.

The Pallas’s cat Otocolobus manul and Tibetan fox Vulpes ferrilata are two mesocarnivores co-occurring across a vast landscape in Tibetan Plateau and Trans-Himalaya. Our understanding of this species' basic ecology and interactions are limited in this region, any noteworthy observation is valuable in improving our understanding of these species’ ecology and behaviour. Here, we report an interaction incident between the Pallas's cat and Tibetan fox in Ladakh, India. We also discuss the distribution overlap between the Pallas’s cat and Tibetan fox. Our preliminary observations suggest that the Pallas’s cat and Tibetan fox potentially share their habitat and compete for prey resources in the Indian Trans-Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau.

The snow leopard Panthera uncia is one of the most elusive high altitude species
distributed in the Himalayan region of India. Within the distribution range of the cat
in India, there were confirmed reports of the presence of snow leopard in Ladakh,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, but not from Jammu
& Kashmir State. Despite several survey attempts, there was no report about the direct sighting of snow leopards in any protected or non-protected areas except a carcass which was found at Gagangir area under Ganderbal district of Jammu & Kashmi state. Here, we report the first ever sighting of a snow leopard from Kishtwar High Altitude National Park which confirms its distribution range in Jammu & Kashmir, India.

The rusty-spotted cat Prionailurus rubiginosus is a vulnerable species, endemic to
India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. We deployed 115 camera traps during four phases in
Badrama Wildlife Sanctuary from 14 November to 13 May 2022 with a total sampling
effort of 4,490 trap days. Out of 16,824 camera trap photographs, eight photo captures of rusty spotted cats were recorded from the Badrama Wildlife Sanctuary. Previously, there have been no rusty spotted cat records from the sanctuary. We provide here photographic evidence of the rusty-spotted cats and highlight the importance of Badrama Wildlife Sanctuary for threatened species conservation.

We report the first recent photographic evidence of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus in Djibouti. The occurrence of cheetah in Djibouti has been unconfirmed for the past three decades. This new record indicates that Djibouti may provide important habitat for this rapidly declining species and merits further investigation.

As one of the few formally protected Sahelian savanna ecosystems in Cameroon, Waza National Park Waza NP still harbours a rich and unique biodiversity. Observations made early 2021 in Waza NP indicate that intrusions by fishermen and cattle herds are becoming more frequent and persistent, threatening the habitat this protected area offers to lions Panthera leo leo and the prey on which they depend. In order to assess the current status of the lion population and their prey base, as well as human activities and overall threats to the park, a survey was initiated consisting of nine calling stations, 248 km of line transects and a semi-structured questionnaire conducted among 200 randomly selected respondents from six villages with full consent. Although no lions responded to the calling stations, lion presence in the park was revealed during the line transect survey. The transect survey further confirmed that numbers of kob antelope, an important prey for lions, had decreased from previous assessments. Based on our assessment and some lessons learnt from the Waza Logone Project, we define a strategy to restore Waza NP and the surrounding floodplain ecosystem. We suggest simultaneously strengthening the capacity of Waza NP’s management and enhancing the carrying capacity of the surrounding floodplain, not only to benefit livelihoods of local communities, but eventually also to restore the lion population and overall biodiversity. The ultimate aim of the strategy is to achieve a well-managed national park with thriving biodiversity in sustainable co-existence with local communities around the park that profit from improved floodplain ecology.

The Northwest African cheetah Acinonyx jubatus hecki is a subspecies of the African
cheetah, present in five known or suspected subpopulations across western, central and northern Africa. Only few surveys have targeted this large African carnivore despite its IUCN Red List status of Critically Endangered. The present study aims to present the historical and current distributions of this subspecies in West Africa, south of Algeria and the Western Sahara region from 1890 to 2021. We collated historical and recent records of presence from written records, museums and personal communications. Contrary to leopards and lions, we found very few historical records of cheetahs in the region. Our results confirm that cheetahs disappeared from a large portion of their historical range, starting in the West and moving towards the East. Records from the last two decades match with the last remaining cheetah subpopulations in the study area and confirm their isolation from one another. We highlight the crucial role that protected areas play in hosting the last individuals of Acinonyx jubatus hecki in West Africa. Data on historical distribution improve understanding of the patterns of species decline and can be used to inform population recovery.

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Table T1–T6

We report the first camera-trap photographic record of the puma Puma concolor in
Cusuco National Park, Honduras, in the Merendón Mountain Range on the border of
Honduras and Guatemala. This is the first conclusive evidence of puma presence in
this area, despite extensive surveys carried out over the past 17 years. Similarly, the
first and only jaguar Panthera onca record from this area was attained in Cusuco National Park in 2015. Although resident populations of jaguars and pumas seem to be absent from this area, these sporadic records, potentially single migrants, indicate the importance of the binational Merendón Range for the connectivity of large wild cats.

Despite gaining popularity worldwide for capturing high quality images of wildlife, the usage of custom designed camera traps has been poorly documented. Herein, we
record video behavioural responses of wildlife to this equipment, and highlight the
need to establish clear guidelines to minimise or prevent their potential negative impact on wildlife.

Though jaguarundi Herpailurus yagouaroundi are considered a species of “Least
Concern,” the data dictating this status is limited owing to few targeted studies of
the felid. In Panama, expanding the knowledge of jaguarundi ecology is essential to
inform conservation decisions as the country continues to experience habitat conversion. With a decrease in habitat availability, it is important to elucidate interactions and resource partitioning between jaguarundi and sympatric felids. In this study, we used presence-only data from camera traps deployed in the Mamoní Valley of Panama and in the Guna Yala Comarca, in a maximum entropy framework as an index of occurrence probability for jaguarundi. We included habitat variables as covariates to evaluate their relative importance to jaguarundi occupancy. Using spatial and temporal data, we then assessed the co-occurrence of jaguarundi with four sympatric felid species: margay Leopardus wiedii, ocelot Leopardus pardalis, puma Puma concolor, and jaguar Panthera onca. Models indicated that jaguarundi were more likely to occur in secondary forests at lower slopes, and avoided open pasture land. Only the distribution of the ocelot affected modelled jaguarundi occurrence, and this relationship was positive. Jaguarundis had a likelihood of coexisting with all felid species in 57% of the jaguarundi’s predicted occurrence range at the 0.5 threshold, and this was likely facilitated by temporal and ecological niche partitioning among the sympatric species. The data from this research suggest that though jaguarundis occur sympatrically with other felid species, their habitat use is unique from larger, charismatic species and targeted conservation efforts may be necessary to ensure the conservation of jaguarundis in Panama.