la Quinta is a city mostly known as a golf resort, located in Riverside county a couple of hours outside los Angeles. Mostly desert, with one mountain range called the Santa Rosa mountains. Riverside county is known to have a mountain lion population; in fact a few years back I visited a chap who had a visit from one in his backyard. In any case, large black cats are not recognized members of the local wildlife.
That been said on saturday October 16, 2010 the sheriff received a phone call from a resident claiming that he witnessed a "large panther sized black cat" on the roof a local home. This occurred at 8 a.m according to investigators which combined the sheriff's office and California Fish and Game. Apparently, this was the second sighting of the week as a similar animal was reported a week earlier at the La Quinta Dunes Golf course. I am in the process of investigating this, and I'll offer a follow up if and when I get additional details.
Sources: The Desert Sun, Cryptomundo
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
Big Cat Caught on Camera?
Posted By MATTHEW VAN DONGEN Standard Staff
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2703758
10th August
This cat sure gets around.
It started public life as the Fort Erie Cougar a decade ago, popping up in farmers' fields and, in one case, allegedly leaving tracks on a rural family's front porch.
A couple of years later, a provincial biologist found cougar DNA in the Wainfleet bog.
Ever since, a big cat — often black, never caught — has been the star of grainy videos and far-away photos across Niagara.
The latest tantalizing cat tale comes from Wainfleet, where a hunter's automatic "critter cam" picked up a surprisingly clear image of a jet-black feline crouched near a pile of rotten feed in a farmer's field in late April.
The hunter, who asked not to be named, said the camera was meant to snap photos of deer attracted to the sweet-smelling corn.
Did it capture proof of a semi-urban legend instead?
The experts say maybe. Or not.
A picture, apparently, is worth a thousand confusing words.
"It looks like a leopard or possibly a jaguar to me," wrote Graham Crawshaw, senior veterinarian at the Toronto Zoo, in an e-mail that begins promisingly for puma paparazzi and ends with crushing ambivalence. "But scale can always be confusing."
"At first glance, I would say it is definitely not a house cat," added John Greer, the senior operations officer at the Welland Humane Society. "But distances and angles in these photos and videos can play surprising tricks on your eyes."
Greer just had that lesson reinforced last week, after a Welland resident sent him a video of what appeared to be a cougar sauntering by a dumpster within city limits.
The video looked convincing enough for Greer to forward it to Ontario's dedicated big-cat researcher, Rick Rosatte, who has been on the trail of the elusive Ontario cougar on behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources for about four years.
Unlike many local sceptics, Rosatte doesn't consider the elusive cougar to be a provincial Sasquatch story. He recently announced he's collected enough evidence to prove pumas are still on the prowl in Ontario, if in very small numbers.
Nonetheless, his response to Greer: the video provides an eye-bending perspective on an overfed tomcat.
Rosatte was also sent a copy of the most recent Wainfleet photo.
He forwarded the photo to the Toronto Zoo, but wouldn't bite with an opinion of his own when The Standard tried to contact him. He doesn't have to, either.
That's because a native cougar — the endangered kind the ministry is responsible for tracking and protecting — wouldn't be black. The colour works for a jaguar or leopard, which in theory might have been released by an exceptionally irresponsible pet owner.
The ministry, however, is not legally obligated to show an interest in imported pets, however big and toothy. "MNR has no jurisdiction over exotic species such as big cats," Rosatte wrote recently in an e-mail to a concerned resident. "That would have to be dealt with by the local police, humane society etc."
Occasionally, those agencies have tried.
In 2000, the Fort Erie humane society actually paid a trapper to try and capture the elusive, not-quite-proven animal, but came up empty.
In this case, Niagara Regional Police never received a big-cat complaint from Wainfleet, said spokesman Const. Nilan Dave.
Greer, who is responsible for Wainfleet, said a confirmed sighting in an urban area would likely be grounds for "some sort of public warning" and a search for evidence like scat, or tracks. But he added a field in Wainfleet doesn't constitute a urban area, or a threat.
Connie Spiece believes otherwise, however.
Spiece has been tracking big-cat sightings ever since her horse was mauled by some sort of large animals with awfully big claws two years ago.
The Welland woman believes it was a big cat, probably an exotic. The ministry set up traps and cameras around her property, but eventually suggested wild dogs could be to blame.
Spiece, who forwarded the most recent cat photo to The Standard, doesn't buy that.
"I'm sick and tired of being scared to go out in my own backyard," she said. "This (photo) proves it's still hanging out in the general area. Just you wait, in the fall it will attack something else. I'd like someone to step up, take responsibility and catch this thing."
Big cats are hard to track, since they can range for thousands of kilometres in search of food.
That might explain why sightings haven't been limited to the southern peninsula.
St. Catharines farmer Doug Whitty is a reluctant big-cat convert after his own startling brush with a local legend two summers ago.
"I'd heard the stories, but I hadn't taken them seriously. You know, another Sasquatch sighting," he recalled with a laugh. "Then I saw this big black animal cross the road (on Fifth Avenue).... I was shocked."
Whitty said he was standing near the road with some neighbours when the "big, heavily muscled" cat padded across the road and into some woods near a creek, not 250 metres away.
The farmer said he figured his eyes were playing tricks on him, but then the animal passed in front of a parked car.
"That sort of gave me a sense of scale," he said. "It was certainly big, and it moved just like a big cat would. You could see the muscles moving in its shoulders from a distance.... You have to admire the build, the grace."
Whitty isn't concerned about sharing his bit of the peninsula with a phantom feline.
"If it's an exotic that doesn't belong here, that's unfortunate," he said. "But their range is so large ... and if it is still around, there's plenty of rabbits and wild turkey for them to eat."
Shaun Stevens of Big Cats in Britain Reports:
I've just had a good look at this pic and now I'm not sure.....
If you take a close look at the tail, you will see that it is partially obscured by the grass and is slightly longer than it appears, which is more reminiscent of a big cat tail rather than a domestic/feral cat tail..........
.........BUT
.........the tail ends in a sharp tapered point, whereas leopards, jaguars and pumas tails end in a blunt tip.
A Big Cat? no
A "big cat", most definitely.
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2703758
10th August
This cat sure gets around.
It started public life as the Fort Erie Cougar a decade ago, popping up in farmers' fields and, in one case, allegedly leaving tracks on a rural family's front porch.
A couple of years later, a provincial biologist found cougar DNA in the Wainfleet bog.
Ever since, a big cat — often black, never caught — has been the star of grainy videos and far-away photos across Niagara.
The latest tantalizing cat tale comes from Wainfleet, where a hunter's automatic "critter cam" picked up a surprisingly clear image of a jet-black feline crouched near a pile of rotten feed in a farmer's field in late April.
The hunter, who asked not to be named, said the camera was meant to snap photos of deer attracted to the sweet-smelling corn.
Did it capture proof of a semi-urban legend instead?
The experts say maybe. Or not.
A picture, apparently, is worth a thousand confusing words.
"It looks like a leopard or possibly a jaguar to me," wrote Graham Crawshaw, senior veterinarian at the Toronto Zoo, in an e-mail that begins promisingly for puma paparazzi and ends with crushing ambivalence. "But scale can always be confusing."
"At first glance, I would say it is definitely not a house cat," added John Greer, the senior operations officer at the Welland Humane Society. "But distances and angles in these photos and videos can play surprising tricks on your eyes."
Greer just had that lesson reinforced last week, after a Welland resident sent him a video of what appeared to be a cougar sauntering by a dumpster within city limits.
The video looked convincing enough for Greer to forward it to Ontario's dedicated big-cat researcher, Rick Rosatte, who has been on the trail of the elusive Ontario cougar on behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources for about four years.
Unlike many local sceptics, Rosatte doesn't consider the elusive cougar to be a provincial Sasquatch story. He recently announced he's collected enough evidence to prove pumas are still on the prowl in Ontario, if in very small numbers.
Nonetheless, his response to Greer: the video provides an eye-bending perspective on an overfed tomcat.
Rosatte was also sent a copy of the most recent Wainfleet photo.
He forwarded the photo to the Toronto Zoo, but wouldn't bite with an opinion of his own when The Standard tried to contact him. He doesn't have to, either.
That's because a native cougar — the endangered kind the ministry is responsible for tracking and protecting — wouldn't be black. The colour works for a jaguar or leopard, which in theory might have been released by an exceptionally irresponsible pet owner.
The ministry, however, is not legally obligated to show an interest in imported pets, however big and toothy. "MNR has no jurisdiction over exotic species such as big cats," Rosatte wrote recently in an e-mail to a concerned resident. "That would have to be dealt with by the local police, humane society etc."
Occasionally, those agencies have tried.
In 2000, the Fort Erie humane society actually paid a trapper to try and capture the elusive, not-quite-proven animal, but came up empty.
In this case, Niagara Regional Police never received a big-cat complaint from Wainfleet, said spokesman Const. Nilan Dave.
Greer, who is responsible for Wainfleet, said a confirmed sighting in an urban area would likely be grounds for "some sort of public warning" and a search for evidence like scat, or tracks. But he added a field in Wainfleet doesn't constitute a urban area, or a threat.
Connie Spiece believes otherwise, however.
Spiece has been tracking big-cat sightings ever since her horse was mauled by some sort of large animals with awfully big claws two years ago.
The Welland woman believes it was a big cat, probably an exotic. The ministry set up traps and cameras around her property, but eventually suggested wild dogs could be to blame.
Spiece, who forwarded the most recent cat photo to The Standard, doesn't buy that.
"I'm sick and tired of being scared to go out in my own backyard," she said. "This (photo) proves it's still hanging out in the general area. Just you wait, in the fall it will attack something else. I'd like someone to step up, take responsibility and catch this thing."
Big cats are hard to track, since they can range for thousands of kilometres in search of food.
That might explain why sightings haven't been limited to the southern peninsula.
St. Catharines farmer Doug Whitty is a reluctant big-cat convert after his own startling brush with a local legend two summers ago.
"I'd heard the stories, but I hadn't taken them seriously. You know, another Sasquatch sighting," he recalled with a laugh. "Then I saw this big black animal cross the road (on Fifth Avenue).... I was shocked."
Whitty said he was standing near the road with some neighbours when the "big, heavily muscled" cat padded across the road and into some woods near a creek, not 250 metres away.
The farmer said he figured his eyes were playing tricks on him, but then the animal passed in front of a parked car.
"That sort of gave me a sense of scale," he said. "It was certainly big, and it moved just like a big cat would. You could see the muscles moving in its shoulders from a distance.... You have to admire the build, the grace."
Whitty isn't concerned about sharing his bit of the peninsula with a phantom feline.
"If it's an exotic that doesn't belong here, that's unfortunate," he said. "But their range is so large ... and if it is still around, there's plenty of rabbits and wild turkey for them to eat."
Shaun Stevens of Big Cats in Britain Reports:
I've just had a good look at this pic and now I'm not sure.....
If you take a close look at the tail, you will see that it is partially obscured by the grass and is slightly longer than it appears, which is more reminiscent of a big cat tail rather than a domestic/feral cat tail..........
.........BUT
.........the tail ends in a sharp tapered point, whereas leopards, jaguars and pumas tails end in a blunt tip.
A Big Cat? no
A "big cat", most definitely.
Alabama Big Black Cat
http://www.thejump.net/multimedia/cougar/big-black-cat/bc.htm
Do the series of photographs show a big black cat in Alabama?
Do the series of photographs show a big black cat in Alabama?
Residents Believe Exotic Cat Roaming Neighborhood
July 14, 2010
Lisa Trigg
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE --- Reports of a large black exotic feline in a neighborhood near Deming Park have some Keane Lane residents concerned about public safety for the many people who live and play in the area.
Sheri Reck told the Tribune-Star that the animal, which she believes is a black leopard, frequently comes through her yard at night. Other neighbors have told her that they, too, have seen the animal.
The presence of an exotic feline in that area has not been confirmed by authorities. But Sheri said she thinks the public should be warned about the possible presence of a big cat in the area.
Early Tuesday morning, Sheri called 911 to report seeing the big cat in her back yard. She said she was sitting inside the gazebo connected to the back deck of her home when she heard the animal growl. She was too afraid to exit the screened gazebo to head for the back door of her home.
She said she has seen the animal run across the back deck, and she points out gouges on a large oak tree that she believes were made by the big cat scratching the bark.
I wish that somebody would come out here and sit all night, Sheri said Tuesday evening while sitting inside the gazebo, where she was painting an angel statue at the time of the incident. You hear dogs go crazy barking and then it gets creepy silent.
A neighbor, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Michelle, told the Tribune-Star that she recently saw the suspect animal, too, and that her own dogs are spooked by it.
I saw it the other morning at about twenty after six, neighbor Michelle said.
She said she was outside on her patio having coffee when she saw a large black feline that she estimated to be the size of her Labrador-poodle mix dog walking nearby.
It was one of those things you look at and go, Michelle said.
The big cat walked along a driveway and cut through another neighbor's yard before she lost sight of it, she said. She estimated its body at about 3-feet long, with an equally long tail.
Somebody really needs to come out here and really check it out, Michelle added, noting that the peaceful neighborhood used to have an abundant population of squirrels, rabbits and deer. Now, it doesn't.
Sheri;s husband, Larry Reck, said in the past he captured troublesome raccoons, skunks and opossums in his yard, then took the animals to another wild area to release them. Now, he said he believes there are no roaming critters because a four-legged predator has eaten them or scared them off.
Larry said during the past year he has found a deer leg, rabbit fur, b*lls of geese feathers and other animal remains in his yard. A den of foxes used to live nearby under a neighbor;s shed, but it appears that a larger predator got to them, he said.
Sheri and Larry both said they recently have heard what they believe to be young foxes yelping and screaming at night as if a predator is killing them.
Michelle said another adjoining neighbor also has reported hearing an animal ruckus outside that has stopped her from going outdoors at night.
She said the Keane Lane area which runs between U.S. 40 and Poplar Street, and is adjacent to Deming Park and the Woodridge, Woodshire and Lincolnshire subdivisions gets a lot of foot traffic even at night, and the public should be warned about the possible presence of an exotic feline.
The Recks recalled other big cat sightings last year.
The Tribune-Star reported in February 2009 a cougar sighting in the area of Ohio Boulevard and Brown Avenue, and then again later at Dobbs Park. The sightings resulted in precautionary measures at area schools.
In early May, a mountain lion sighting was confirmed in a rural part of Greene County east of Bloomfield by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which has developed a policy to collect data and evaluate reported sightings of such animals.
The chance that the animal seen by the Recks and their neighbors is really a black leopard are slim, according to a state official.
Phil Bloom, DNR;s communications director, said no one in Vigo County holds a state-issued permit to legally possess an animal such as a leopard, cougar or other exotic feline. Part of that permit requirement would be to report the escape of any such animal. No escapes have been reported in the past five years, Bloom said.
The Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Clay County holds a federal permit issued through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates facilities that commercially exhibit animals, as well as commercial animal breeders and animal research facilities. The rescue center is home to about 200 big cats.
Joe Taft, owner of the center near Center Point, said he thinks it is unlikely that the animal seen was a black leopard, because they are not particularly common in captivity in this area, and they are certainly not native to Indiana.
Dave Sacks of the USDA said the federal agency has no permits issued for regulated animals in Vigo County. However he did say it is possible that someone in the area may have possessed a leopard illegally at some time, and such a person likely would not report it if the animal escaped.
The DNR;s Bloom said that anyone who sights a big cat in Vigo, Clay, Sullivan, Parke or Vermillion counties is asked to call the District 9 wildlife biologist at (812) 268-0300 to report the sighting.
If an animal poses no threat to people and causes no injury to livestock or pets, it likely would be allowed to remain free, Bloom said. An effort would be made to capture a problem animal.
Another option would be for people to contact the 911 dispatch center and ask to be put in touch with a conservation officer, he said.
The DNR recently has had 52 big cat sightings reported around the state, Bloom said. There was not sufficient evidence to confirm those sightings, and eight of the reports were determined to be an animal other than a mountain lion.
y eye-witnesses the cat is only 6 feet long incl. tail. And looks like a Leopard. Perhaps this is a young Jaguar?
Lisa Trigg
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE --- Reports of a large black exotic feline in a neighborhood near Deming Park have some Keane Lane residents concerned about public safety for the many people who live and play in the area.
Sheri Reck told the Tribune-Star that the animal, which she believes is a black leopard, frequently comes through her yard at night. Other neighbors have told her that they, too, have seen the animal.
The presence of an exotic feline in that area has not been confirmed by authorities. But Sheri said she thinks the public should be warned about the possible presence of a big cat in the area.
Early Tuesday morning, Sheri called 911 to report seeing the big cat in her back yard. She said she was sitting inside the gazebo connected to the back deck of her home when she heard the animal growl. She was too afraid to exit the screened gazebo to head for the back door of her home.
She said she has seen the animal run across the back deck, and she points out gouges on a large oak tree that she believes were made by the big cat scratching the bark.
I wish that somebody would come out here and sit all night, Sheri said Tuesday evening while sitting inside the gazebo, where she was painting an angel statue at the time of the incident. You hear dogs go crazy barking and then it gets creepy silent.
A neighbor, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Michelle, told the Tribune-Star that she recently saw the suspect animal, too, and that her own dogs are spooked by it.
I saw it the other morning at about twenty after six, neighbor Michelle said.
She said she was outside on her patio having coffee when she saw a large black feline that she estimated to be the size of her Labrador-poodle mix dog walking nearby.
It was one of those things you look at and go, Michelle said.
The big cat walked along a driveway and cut through another neighbor's yard before she lost sight of it, she said. She estimated its body at about 3-feet long, with an equally long tail.
Somebody really needs to come out here and really check it out, Michelle added, noting that the peaceful neighborhood used to have an abundant population of squirrels, rabbits and deer. Now, it doesn't.
Sheri;s husband, Larry Reck, said in the past he captured troublesome raccoons, skunks and opossums in his yard, then took the animals to another wild area to release them. Now, he said he believes there are no roaming critters because a four-legged predator has eaten them or scared them off.
Larry said during the past year he has found a deer leg, rabbit fur, b*lls of geese feathers and other animal remains in his yard. A den of foxes used to live nearby under a neighbor;s shed, but it appears that a larger predator got to them, he said.
Sheri and Larry both said they recently have heard what they believe to be young foxes yelping and screaming at night as if a predator is killing them.
Michelle said another adjoining neighbor also has reported hearing an animal ruckus outside that has stopped her from going outdoors at night.
She said the Keane Lane area which runs between U.S. 40 and Poplar Street, and is adjacent to Deming Park and the Woodridge, Woodshire and Lincolnshire subdivisions gets a lot of foot traffic even at night, and the public should be warned about the possible presence of an exotic feline.
The Recks recalled other big cat sightings last year.
The Tribune-Star reported in February 2009 a cougar sighting in the area of Ohio Boulevard and Brown Avenue, and then again later at Dobbs Park. The sightings resulted in precautionary measures at area schools.
In early May, a mountain lion sighting was confirmed in a rural part of Greene County east of Bloomfield by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which has developed a policy to collect data and evaluate reported sightings of such animals.
The chance that the animal seen by the Recks and their neighbors is really a black leopard are slim, according to a state official.
Phil Bloom, DNR;s communications director, said no one in Vigo County holds a state-issued permit to legally possess an animal such as a leopard, cougar or other exotic feline. Part of that permit requirement would be to report the escape of any such animal. No escapes have been reported in the past five years, Bloom said.
The Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Clay County holds a federal permit issued through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates facilities that commercially exhibit animals, as well as commercial animal breeders and animal research facilities. The rescue center is home to about 200 big cats.
Joe Taft, owner of the center near Center Point, said he thinks it is unlikely that the animal seen was a black leopard, because they are not particularly common in captivity in this area, and they are certainly not native to Indiana.
Dave Sacks of the USDA said the federal agency has no permits issued for regulated animals in Vigo County. However he did say it is possible that someone in the area may have possessed a leopard illegally at some time, and such a person likely would not report it if the animal escaped.
The DNR;s Bloom said that anyone who sights a big cat in Vigo, Clay, Sullivan, Parke or Vermillion counties is asked to call the District 9 wildlife biologist at (812) 268-0300 to report the sighting.
If an animal poses no threat to people and causes no injury to livestock or pets, it likely would be allowed to remain free, Bloom said. An effort would be made to capture a problem animal.
Another option would be for people to contact the 911 dispatch center and ask to be put in touch with a conservation officer, he said.
The DNR recently has had 52 big cat sightings reported around the state, Bloom said. There was not sufficient evidence to confirm those sightings, and eight of the reports were determined to be an animal other than a mountain lion.
y eye-witnesses the cat is only 6 feet long incl. tail. And looks like a Leopard. Perhaps this is a young Jaguar?
Roaming Panther Caught on Film
http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2010/07/15/visualizza_new.html_1852991856.html
Big cat snapped outside Palermo
15 July, 12:50
(ANSA) - Palermo, July 15 - A panther sighted over the past few weeks in the countryside around Palermo was photographed by forest rangers Wednesday night.
The rangers said they had got several shots of the animal, which they have been trying to capture, with an infrared camera.
It was lying on a rocky hillside spur on the southern outskirts of the Sicilian capital, they said.
The panther was said to be an adult and not, as previously believed, a cub.
The rangers are trying to establish its exact size.
The big cat is thought to have escaped from a circus, zoo, or perhaps the home of a crime boss.
Several top Italian mafiosi have been found to have private zoos and some have been known to threaten victims with wild beasts.
Big cat snapped outside Palermo
15 July, 12:50
(ANSA) - Palermo, July 15 - A panther sighted over the past few weeks in the countryside around Palermo was photographed by forest rangers Wednesday night.
The rangers said they had got several shots of the animal, which they have been trying to capture, with an infrared camera.
It was lying on a rocky hillside spur on the southern outskirts of the Sicilian capital, they said.
The panther was said to be an adult and not, as previously believed, a cub.
The rangers are trying to establish its exact size.
The big cat is thought to have escaped from a circus, zoo, or perhaps the home of a crime boss.
Several top Italian mafiosi have been found to have private zoos and some have been known to threaten victims with wild beasts.
Wild Cat Found Mimicking Monkey Calls; Predatory Trickery Documented for the First Time in Wild Felids in Americas
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708141620.htm
The extraordinary behavior was recorded by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and UFAM in the Amazonian forests of the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke in Brazil. The observations confirmed what until now had been only anecdotal reports from Amazonian inhabitants of wild cat species -- including jaguars and pumas -- actually mimicking primates, agoutis, and other species in order to draw them within striking range.
The observations appear in the June issue of Neotropical Primates. The authors of the paper include: Fabiano de Oliveira Calleia of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM; Fabio Rohe of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Marcelo Gordo of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM.
"Cats are known for their physical agility, but this vocal manipulation of prey species indicates a psychological cunning which merits further study," said WCS researcher Fabio Rohe.
Researchers first recorded the incident in 2005 when a group of eight pied tamarins were feeding in a ficus tree. They then observed a margay emitting calls similar to those made by tamarin babies. This attracted the attention of a tamarin "sentinel," which climbed down from the tree to investigate the sounds coming from a tangle of vines called lianas. While the sentinel monkey started vocalizing to warn the rest of the group of the strange calls, the monkeys were clearly confounded by these familiar vocalizations, choosing to investigate rather than flee. Four other tamarins climbed down to assess the nature of the calls. At that moment, a margay emerged from the foliage walking down the trunk of a tree in a squirrel-like fashion, jumping down and then moving towards the monkeys. Realizing the ruse, the sentinel screamed an alarm and sent the other tamarins fleeing.
While this specific instance of mimicry was unsuccessful, researchers were amazed at the ingenuity of the hunting strategy.
"This observation further proves the reliability of information obtained from Amazonian inhabitants," said Dr. Avecita Chicchón, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Latin America Program. "This means that accounts of jaguars and pumas using the same vocal mimicry to attract prey--but not yet recorded by scientists--also deserve investigation."
WCS is currently monitoring populations of the pied tamarin -- listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN's Red List -- and is seeking financial support to continue the study, which aims to protect this and other species from extinction. Next to Madagascar, the Amazon has the highest diversity of primates on Earth.
These behavioral insights also are indications of intact Amazon rainforest habitat. WCS works throughout the Amazon to evaluate the conservation importance of these rainforests, which have become increasingly threatened by development
The extraordinary behavior was recorded by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and UFAM in the Amazonian forests of the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke in Brazil. The observations confirmed what until now had been only anecdotal reports from Amazonian inhabitants of wild cat species -- including jaguars and pumas -- actually mimicking primates, agoutis, and other species in order to draw them within striking range.
The observations appear in the June issue of Neotropical Primates. The authors of the paper include: Fabiano de Oliveira Calleia of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM; Fabio Rohe of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Marcelo Gordo of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM.
"Cats are known for their physical agility, but this vocal manipulation of prey species indicates a psychological cunning which merits further study," said WCS researcher Fabio Rohe.
Researchers first recorded the incident in 2005 when a group of eight pied tamarins were feeding in a ficus tree. They then observed a margay emitting calls similar to those made by tamarin babies. This attracted the attention of a tamarin "sentinel," which climbed down from the tree to investigate the sounds coming from a tangle of vines called lianas. While the sentinel monkey started vocalizing to warn the rest of the group of the strange calls, the monkeys were clearly confounded by these familiar vocalizations, choosing to investigate rather than flee. Four other tamarins climbed down to assess the nature of the calls. At that moment, a margay emerged from the foliage walking down the trunk of a tree in a squirrel-like fashion, jumping down and then moving towards the monkeys. Realizing the ruse, the sentinel screamed an alarm and sent the other tamarins fleeing.
While this specific instance of mimicry was unsuccessful, researchers were amazed at the ingenuity of the hunting strategy.
"This observation further proves the reliability of information obtained from Amazonian inhabitants," said Dr. Avecita Chicchón, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Latin America Program. "This means that accounts of jaguars and pumas using the same vocal mimicry to attract prey--but not yet recorded by scientists--also deserve investigation."
WCS is currently monitoring populations of the pied tamarin -- listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN's Red List -- and is seeking financial support to continue the study, which aims to protect this and other species from extinction. Next to Madagascar, the Amazon has the highest diversity of primates on Earth.
These behavioral insights also are indications of intact Amazon rainforest habitat. WCS works throughout the Amazon to evaluate the conservation importance of these rainforests, which have become increasingly threatened by development
ScienceDaily (July 9, 2010) — In a fascinating example of vocal mimicry, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and UFAM (Federal University of Amazonas) have documented a wild cat species imitating the call of its intended victim: a small, squirrel-sized monkey known as a pied tamarin. This is the first recorded instance of a wild cat species in the Americas mimicking the calls of its prey.
The extraordinary behavior was recorded by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and UFAM in the Amazonian forests of the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke in Brazil. The observations confirmed what until now had been only anecdotal reports from Amazonian inhabitants of wild cat species -- including jaguars and pumas -- actually mimicking primates, agoutis, and other species in order to draw them within striking range.
The observations appear in the June issue of Neotropical Primates. The authors of the paper include: Fabiano de Oliveira Calleia of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM; Fabio Rohe of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Marcelo Gordo of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM.
"Cats are known for their physical agility, but this vocal manipulation of prey species indicates a psychological cunning which merits further study," said WCS researcher Fabio Rohe.
Researchers first recorded the incident in 2005 when a group of eight pied tamarins were feeding in a ficus tree. They then observed a margay emitting calls similar to those made by tamarin babies. This attracted the attention of a tamarin "sentinel," which climbed down from the tree to investigate the sounds coming from a tangle of vines called lianas. While the sentinel monkey started vocalizing to warn the rest of the group of the strange calls, the monkeys were clearly confounded by these familiar vocalizations, choosing to investigate rather than flee. Four other tamarins climbed down to assess the nature of the calls. At that moment, a margay emerged from the foliage walking down the trunk of a tree in a squirrel-like fashion, jumping down and then moving towards the monkeys. Realizing the ruse, the sentinel screamed an alarm and sent the other tamarins fleeing.
While this specific instance of mimicry was unsuccessful, researchers were amazed at the ingenuity of the hunting strategy.
"This observation further proves the reliability of information obtained from Amazonian inhabitants," said Dr. Avecita Chicchón, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Latin America Program. "This means that accounts of jaguars and pumas using the same vocal mimicry to attract prey--but not yet recorded by scientists--also deserve investigation."
WCS is currently monitoring populations of the pied tamarin -- listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN's Red List -- and is seeking financial support to continue the study, which aims to protect this and other species from extinction. Next to Madagascar, the Amazon has the highest diversity of primates on Earth.
These behavioral insights also are indications of intact Amazon rainforest habitat. WCS works throughout the Amazon to evaluate the conservation importance of these rainforests, which have become increasingly threatened by development
The extraordinary behavior was recorded by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and UFAM in the Amazonian forests of the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke in Brazil. The observations confirmed what until now had been only anecdotal reports from Amazonian inhabitants of wild cat species -- including jaguars and pumas -- actually mimicking primates, agoutis, and other species in order to draw them within striking range.
The observations appear in the June issue of Neotropical Primates. The authors of the paper include: Fabiano de Oliveira Calleia of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM; Fabio Rohe of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Marcelo Gordo of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM.
"Cats are known for their physical agility, but this vocal manipulation of prey species indicates a psychological cunning which merits further study," said WCS researcher Fabio Rohe.
Researchers first recorded the incident in 2005 when a group of eight pied tamarins were feeding in a ficus tree. They then observed a margay emitting calls similar to those made by tamarin babies. This attracted the attention of a tamarin "sentinel," which climbed down from the tree to investigate the sounds coming from a tangle of vines called lianas. While the sentinel monkey started vocalizing to warn the rest of the group of the strange calls, the monkeys were clearly confounded by these familiar vocalizations, choosing to investigate rather than flee. Four other tamarins climbed down to assess the nature of the calls. At that moment, a margay emerged from the foliage walking down the trunk of a tree in a squirrel-like fashion, jumping down and then moving towards the monkeys. Realizing the ruse, the sentinel screamed an alarm and sent the other tamarins fleeing.
While this specific instance of mimicry was unsuccessful, researchers were amazed at the ingenuity of the hunting strategy.
"This observation further proves the reliability of information obtained from Amazonian inhabitants," said Dr. Avecita Chicchón, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Latin America Program. "This means that accounts of jaguars and pumas using the same vocal mimicry to attract prey--but not yet recorded by scientists--also deserve investigation."
WCS is currently monitoring populations of the pied tamarin -- listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN's Red List -- and is seeking financial support to continue the study, which aims to protect this and other species from extinction. Next to Madagascar, the Amazon has the highest diversity of primates on Earth.
These behavioral insights also are indications of intact Amazon rainforest habitat. WCS works throughout the Amazon to evaluate the conservation importance of these rainforests, which have become increasingly threatened by development
The extraordinary behavior was recorded by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and UFAM in the Amazonian forests of the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke in Brazil. The observations confirmed what until now had been only anecdotal reports from Amazonian inhabitants of wild cat species -- including jaguars and pumas -- actually mimicking primates, agoutis, and other species in order to draw them within striking range.
The observations appear in the June issue of Neotropical Primates. The authors of the paper include: Fabiano de Oliveira Calleia of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM; Fabio Rohe of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Marcelo Gordo of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM.
"Cats are known for their physical agility, but this vocal manipulation of prey species indicates a psychological cunning which merits further study," said WCS researcher Fabio Rohe.
Researchers first recorded the incident in 2005 when a group of eight pied tamarins were feeding in a ficus tree. They then observed a margay emitting calls similar to those made by tamarin babies. This attracted the attention of a tamarin "sentinel," which climbed down from the tree to investigate the sounds coming from a tangle of vines called lianas. While the sentinel monkey started vocalizing to warn the rest of the group of the strange calls, the monkeys were clearly confounded by these familiar vocalizations, choosing to investigate rather than flee. Four other tamarins climbed down to assess the nature of the calls. At that moment, a margay emerged from the foliage walking down the trunk of a tree in a squirrel-like fashion, jumping down and then moving towards the monkeys. Realizing the ruse, the sentinel screamed an alarm and sent the other tamarins fleeing.
While this specific instance of mimicry was unsuccessful, researchers were amazed at the ingenuity of the hunting strategy.
"This observation further proves the reliability of information obtained from Amazonian inhabitants," said Dr. Avecita Chicchón, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Latin America Program. "This means that accounts of jaguars and pumas using the same vocal mimicry to attract prey--but not yet recorded by scientists--also deserve investigation."
WCS is currently monitoring populations of the pied tamarin -- listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN's Red List -- and is seeking financial support to continue the study, which aims to protect this and other species from extinction. Next to Madagascar, the Amazon has the highest diversity of primates on Earth.
These behavioral insights also are indications of intact Amazon rainforest habitat. WCS works throughout the Amazon to evaluate the conservation importance of these rainforests, which have become increasingly threatened by development
ScienceDaily (July 9, 2010) — In a fascinating example of vocal mimicry, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and UFAM (Federal University of Amazonas) have documented a wild cat species imitating the call of its intended victim: a small, squirrel-sized monkey known as a pied tamarin. This is the first recorded instance of a wild cat species in the Americas mimicking the calls of its prey.
The extraordinary behavior was recorded by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and UFAM in the Amazonian forests of the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke in Brazil. The observations confirmed what until now had been only anecdotal reports from Amazonian inhabitants of wild cat species -- including jaguars and pumas -- actually mimicking primates, agoutis, and other species in order to draw them within striking range.
The observations appear in the June issue of Neotropical Primates. The authors of the paper include: Fabiano de Oliveira Calleia of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM; Fabio Rohe of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Marcelo Gordo of Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira/UFAM.
"Cats are known for their physical agility, but this vocal manipulation of prey species indicates a psychological cunning which merits further study," said WCS researcher Fabio Rohe.
Researchers first recorded the incident in 2005 when a group of eight pied tamarins were feeding in a ficus tree. They then observed a margay emitting calls similar to those made by tamarin babies. This attracted the attention of a tamarin "sentinel," which climbed down from the tree to investigate the sounds coming from a tangle of vines called lianas. While the sentinel monkey started vocalizing to warn the rest of the group of the strange calls, the monkeys were clearly confounded by these familiar vocalizations, choosing to investigate rather than flee. Four other tamarins climbed down to assess the nature of the calls. At that moment, a margay emerged from the foliage walking down the trunk of a tree in a squirrel-like fashion, jumping down and then moving towards the monkeys. Realizing the ruse, the sentinel screamed an alarm and sent the other tamarins fleeing.
While this specific instance of mimicry was unsuccessful, researchers were amazed at the ingenuity of the hunting strategy.
"This observation further proves the reliability of information obtained from Amazonian inhabitants," said Dr. Avecita Chicchón, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Latin America Program. "This means that accounts of jaguars and pumas using the same vocal mimicry to attract prey--but not yet recorded by scientists--also deserve investigation."
WCS is currently monitoring populations of the pied tamarin -- listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN's Red List -- and is seeking financial support to continue the study, which aims to protect this and other species from extinction. Next to Madagascar, the Amazon has the highest diversity of primates on Earth.
These behavioral insights also are indications of intact Amazon rainforest habitat. WCS works throughout the Amazon to evaluate the conservation importance of these rainforests, which have become increasingly threatened by development
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)