Conservation projects in MEXICO
Get to know the different projects working towards the conservation of small wild felids in Mexico.
Dr. Rodrigo Nuñez Biols: Ivonne Juarez; Dorian Canek Anguiano y Carlos Illescas.
We are a non government organization based mainly in western Mexico roads. We focus on wildcats (6 Mexican species) and their habitat conservation and research. Besides, we collaborate with local people and authorities. Wildcats and human relationships. is fundamental for wildcats conservation. We focus our efforts in western Mexico (Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima and Michoacan states). Our project covers different aspects of wildcats ecology and conservation, spatial requirements, ecology, landscape use, corridor connectivity, human conflicts, human dimension, disease among other interesting topics.
We are working with 4 small cats: Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) margays or tigrillo (L. wiedii), jaguarundis (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) and bobcats (Lynx rufus).
Small Wild Cat Conservation in Morelos Mexico
Mariam Weston Flores
All four species of small wild cats that inhabit Mexico have been registered in Morelos. These are the jaguarundi, the margay, the ocelot and the bobcat; most of these cats are endangered or threatened in Mexico. However, there has never been conservation projects in the state for them before. To address this gap, we are collaborating with Animal Karma, the Smal Wild Cat Conservation Foundation and the state’s Biodiversity Commission and the Sierra de Monte Negro Natural Reserve to understand the status of the feline populations and their threats to reduce them.
👉With the help of camera trap monitoring, we identify the areas with the greatest need for threat mitigation.
👉Right now, the project aims at mitigating the presence of free ranged dogs in the margay's habitat through free sterilization and vaccination campaigns for dogs. We also provide environmental education workshops for the local communities.
👉A key part of the project is to work with the communities to identify potential conflicts between humans and these cats to build community-based solid conservation strategies. After conducting surveys to understand the communities’ needs and perception of wildlife, we realized that people are willing to sterilize and vaccinate their dogs. We also discovered that one of the biggest problems is a lack of responsible dog ownership.
👉To mitigate this, workshops are given to the communities. So far, thanks to our vaccination and sterilization campaigns, we have been able to vaccinate more than 200 dogs and sterilize more than 35.
There’s still a long way to go, but we are excited to be leading the first project for small wild cats conservation in Morelos, and we are more than eager to share it with you !!
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HUELLA DE TIGRILLO
Paulina Plata, Marco Landaverde, Miguel Torres.
This project located in Ahuatepec, Morelos, aims to reduce the risk of zoonosis to small wild cats from free ranged dogs by implementing vaccination and sterilization campaigns. Engage with the community to implement sensibilitation and outreach strategies to mainstream small cats, as well as to understand the local perception of small cats and detect if conflict is happening.
Their actions include vaccinations, sterilization campaigns, baseline surveys, and community workshops and monitoring.
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AAK MAHAHUAL
Victor Rosas
The local threats this project is aiming to find a solution to is poaching and reprisals for predation on backyard animals.
The main goal is to prevent and reduce retaliatory hunting to ocelots, jaguarundis and margays through the reinforcement or building of chicken coops to prevent backyard birds from being preyed on by cats at night. In addition, education workshops will be given for young people in local schools and the community.
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Evaluating and mitigating feline-human conflict in beekeeping systems
Carlos Mauricio Delgado Martínez and Thelma Arenas Rodriguez
This project takes place in Ejido Nuevo Conhuas, Calakmul, Campeche.
Climate change causes severe droughts in Calakmul, drying out native wetlands and forcing small cats to seek water in nearby communities. This generates human-wildlife conflict with bee farmers. Installing artificial water fountains can help mitigate the negative effects of droughts and facilitate coexistence, but financial aid is scarce.
The activities of this project include:
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Installation of artificial water fountains.
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Installation of camera traps in the artificial fountains. Applying surveys to evaluate the conflict and perception of wild cats with the community.
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Implement workshops to enhance beekeeping technique to reduce and prevent conflict with fauna.