IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Hassan-Beigi, Y. | |
| Conservation Biology of the caracal (_Caracal caracal_) in Iran: action plan and conservation genetics | |
| 2015 Full Book | |
The caracal is the third biggest of the eight felids present in Iran after the leopard and the cheetah. Its habitat is mostly arid areas and it has a key role in the control of rodent populations. The conservation status of caracal populations is not clear across most of the range, but the Asiatic population is threatened and listed in CITES appendix I. The main threats for the caracal are habitat loss and human conflict due to frequent livestock attacks. Lack of knowledge about the caracal and the unknown impacts of the conflict on its population may drive the species to an endangered situation. The main goals of this study are to review the biology, conservation status and conflict with humans of the caracal in Iran, suggest practical measures to reduce such conflict, and conduct a preliminary genetic study. The suggested conservation measures include improving the livestock husbandry system to avoid attacks, predation and thus conflict, education of the local people about carnivores and their importance, and promoting their participation in conservation actions. Genetic diversity and structure in Iran was analyzed based on 24 samples from six provinces. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and four microsatellite markers were used to assess genetic variation and the results indicated low mtDNA diversity, possibly due to a historical bottleneck of a reflection of the colonization (founder effect and serial bottlenecking) of the Middle East from Africa, or alternatively to the low mutation rate of the genes studied. Forensic genetic analyses of hair and saliva from wounds of livestock carcasses to identify predator species is also recommended to provide insight on the dimension of the conflict. The conservation genetics study initiated here is a starting point for subsequent work with additional samples from across Iran and more microsatellite markers. |
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