Great Cats and Rare Canids Act II

The purpose of the preceding essay was to get you to believe that anyone, or nearly anyone, could probably compile a distinguished record on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works--at least when we examine what they have accomplished in the 13 1/2 months of this Congress. Naming courthouses and reauthorizing legislation is not that tough. Tougher will be the consideration of this bill, S. 1033/HR 1464. The purpose of this essay is to bring you into the world of wild cat and dog conservation, as it is presented in this Act.

The Text of the Act--and the Cats

Perhaps emboldened by the success of the reauthorization of the Multinational Species Conservation Fund as well as the Asian Elephant Act, supporters of endangered/threatened species decided to broaden their approach. Rather than just trying to save several species of rhinos, tigers and elephants, they decided to branch out into "big cats" and "big dogs." It is a common legislative strategy--get what you can when you can, and then try to build on your victories in subsequent sessions. Ultimately, of course, the goal is to control the world, but you have to move incrementally in your task. Especially in legislation like the "Great Cat and Rare Canid Act," (why aren't they called Rare Felids?), one has tons of very vocal, knowledgeable and passionate supporters. Groups like the World Wildlife Federation, the Nature Conservancy and others are "front and center" in the struggle to preserve these large cats and dogs. But let's get to the science of it all.

I used to think that the number of species of wild cats and dogs was nearly limitless but then I decided to study the Act. While only providing funds for seven species of wild cat, it says that there are but 37 species of wild cat in the world. This web site actually lists 39, but with the constant debate among taxonomists in how to classify living beings, this discrepancy isn't major. Indeed, another classification lists 40 species, but one of them is the one including domestic cats, and so we cannot include it. These are divided into two subfamiles: the Felinae and Pantherinae. What are some of these? Well, under the former we have the Cheetah (Genus Acinonyx), the Caracal (Caracal), the Asiatic golden cat and bat cat (Catopuma), various small cats (Leopardus), the serval (Leptailurus), some lynxes (Lynx), the marbled cat (Pardofelis), Asian cats (Prionailurus), African golden cat (Profelis) and the puma and jaguarundi (Puma). The Panteriane includes the clouded leopard (Neofelis), roaring cats (Panthera) and snow leopard (Uncia).

But only seven of these are considered threatened or endangered. For example, the cheetah, though swift afoot, can't seem to avoid predators, such as the lion and hyena. In addition, they face significant inbreeding, which has led to a number of genetic defects. They are the fastest of all land animals, reaching speeds of 70-75 miles per hour for short bursts. The other species to be protected are the lion (Panthera leo), the leopard (Panthera pardus), the jaguar (Panthera onca), the snow leopard (Uncia uncia), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) and the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardina).

The Lynx pardina, for example (article and pictures here) is considered to be the most endangered cat in the world. Studies in 2005 estimated the number of surviving Iberian Lynx to be about 100, down from about 400 in 2000. A few have been born in the last two years. Reasons for its decline are habitat loss, road casualties and poaching. Curiously, the Iriomote Cat, Prionailurus iriomotensis, is also to be considered similarly threatened, but it is not listed in the law for protection. I wonder why not.

The clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa, is the smallest of the "Big Cats" and is set apart form the others by its dentition. Their canine teeth are the largest in relation to their body size of any cat. Here is a picture and some information on these beautiful cats. One reason for their decline (they are strongest in Borneo) is that their bones are used in traditional medicine.

The Dogs or Canids

There are a like number of species of wild dogs, though the Act only specifies six which would receive support under the Act. The six are: (1) the dhole (Cuon alpinus); (2) gray wolf (Canis lupus); (3) Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis); (4) bush dog (Speothus venaticus); (5) African wild dog (Lycaon pictus); and (6) maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). The most endangered canid species is the Ethiopian wolf. According to this web site, there are estimated to be fewer than 500 of these surviving in the wild today. Diseases such as rabies and distemper, spread by local domestic dogs, pose the biggest threat to them. This is one species, however, which is not affected by poaching or international trade. With respect to the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus-its name means "painted wolf"), there were once thought to be about 1/2 million of these in many countries, but now there are estimated to be only about 3,000 remaining. They are listed as the second most endangered carnivore in Africa. Indeed, this listing places the African wild dog and Ethiopian wolf as the two most endangered carnivores in Africa.

Conclusion

The upshot of all this is that bill supporters have really done their homework. They have placed in the bill species that are both very attractive because they are known and popular (lion, jaguar, leopard), but they also are cognizant of the species which are in most danger of eradication. The efforts to save these species are certainly aided by the efforts of private entities, but there really is no reason why the US government, through a Congressional appropriation, can't also do something to help. After all, if so much of our budget annually is going to weaponry and other things that take away life, why shouldn't a mere drop in the bucket go to efforts that seek to preserve and maintain species of life in the world?

What I didn't know prior to reading the proposed legislation is that the law would allow funding for "any wildlife management authority of a country that has within its boundaries any part of the range of a rare felid or rare canid.." That is, this is a sort of foreign aid program, and is not merely focused on efforts to keep various species alive which may be in captivity in the United States.

So, let the committee members know. This really is a "win-win" piece of legislation. The cost is minimal; the effect may be great. The goal is to "leverage dollars" so that representatives from countries where these felids/canids live will combine our dollars with their own resources. While the United States is being roundly denounced in the world for its unwise efforts in Iraq, it might be good for us to try to redress that, to some extent, by cooperating in this effort.

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