What cats have you seen? (1 Viewer)

tomjenner · Jan 11, 2011

Jaguarundi (Brazil and El Salvador)
African Wild Cat (Sudan)
African Lion (Kenya)
Cheetah (Kenya)
Serval (Kenya) - see pic below
Leopard (Kenya)

Not a wild sighting, but one of the biggest surprises was when I was staying the night with a family in a remote location in eastern Mongolia. My friend and I were a bit bemused by their odd pet cat. When we checked it later on the internet it turned out to be a Pallas cat.

Tom

rockfowl · Jan 11, 2011

tomjenner said:
Not a wild sighting, but one of the biggest surprises was when I was staying the night with a family in a remote location in eastern Mongolia. My friend and I were a bit bemused by their odd pet cat. When we checked it later on the internet it turned out to be a Pallas cat.

Tom

Gripped! Never even seen one in captivity, one of my most desired small felids and rather unique looking beasts - http://www.arkive.org/pallass-cat/otocolobus-manul/

Very nice Serval.

Chlidonias · Jan 12, 2011

rockfowl said:
Gripped! Never even seen one in captivity, one of my most desired small felids and rather unique looking beasts

if you don't mind a captive one (I certainly don't but I know some folk on here dislike zoos) there are several in the UK, the closest to you probably being at the Cotswold Wildlife Park in Burford. Others at Port Lympne, Howletts, Edinburgh, Banham, Colchester, Ashford and Broxbourne

Chlidonias · Jan 19, 2011

here's a link to my friend's blog, where they saw plenty of close-up puma in Torres del Paine, with photos

http://carmentobbe.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/chile/

rockfowl · Jan 19, 2011

Thanks Chlidonias,

I have no problem with good zoos, and some of those mentioned have excellent track records, having worked in one for six plus years, there's always room for improvement.
I might have to go visiting again in the near future, but I have actually dipped Pallas's in a Zoo before, cats being cats, do like to sleep, out of view!

Steve Babbs · Jan 19, 2011

rockfowl said:
Thanks Chlidonias,

I have no problem with good zoos, and some of those mentioned have excellent track records, having worked in one for six plus years, there's always room for improvement.
I might have to go visiting again in the near future, but I have actually dipped Pallas's in a Zoo before, cats being cats, do like to sleep, out of view!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's managed to dip in a zoo. I seem to remember having quite a bit of trouble seeing jaguar at Chester Zoo, not a good omen.

rockfowl · Jan 19, 2011

I think that zoo practice, enclosures and education etc, the setup should be such that the animals aren't guaranteed, and that you should have to 'work' a little for them. But yes, difficulty seeing a confined animal has its frustrations but underlines the complications of seeing them in the wild and further, the sense of achievement when you do.

I haven't visited the new Jaguar enclosure at Chester, but I know friends involved are very proud of it. At least in Brazil, they watch you from the riverbanks and as cats do, are fond of man made tracks, as there is only one, the Transpantaneira, you stand a good chance.

I haven't named my list yet as I'm rather superstitious about 'jinxing' things, especially as I'm about to have another crack at some, I would however need four hands

DMW · Jan 19, 2011

I recently saw two exquisite Desert Cats in Gujarat, India. Just need to sit back in my armchair and wait for the split - in which case I'll be on my third hand!
One of the cats I saw was probably this one, at a known den:
www.vijaycavale.blogspot.com/2008/03/kutch-magic.html

GMK · Mar 19, 2011

GMK said:
A mere eight species, but a fair few individuals, as follows:

Puma (Mexico and Brazil, where seen in the following states: Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Pará)

Jaguarundi (Brazil, in Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso, São Paulo and Tocantins)

Ocelot (Mato Grosso, Brazil)

Oncilla (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Cheetah (Kenya)

Leopard (Israel and Kenya)

Lion (Kenya)

Jaguar (spotty ones in the Pantanal, and a black one in Pará, Brazil)

Plus another one dead, Geoffroy's Cat, in Goiás, Brazil!

Plus one missed, Eurasian Lynx in Turkey; seen by my mate on practically his first day in the country, after I'd spent two years there!

Never seem to have lucked into a Margay.

Just saw this one too, shame I can't count it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11586279

I'm pleased to have "rectified" the Iberian Lynx situation, with superb 1.5-hour-long views getting on for two weeks ago in the Sierra de Andújar (couldn't resist joining the procession for that one). Brings me to nine species, but I've no idea where numero dez is coming from. Pics of the lynx on my FB.

Pierre van der Wielen · Mar 21, 2011

as we spend a lot of time looking for mammals while birding, we did see some cats during the years:

leopard: India, Sri Lanka, Israel, South Africa and Kenya
Lion: South Africa and Kenya
Cheetah: South Africa and Kenya
Wild Cat: South Africa
Andean Cat: Peru
Leopard Cat: Malaysia, both mainland and Sabah
Flat-headed Cat: Borneo
Jungle Cat: India
Rusty-spotted Cat: Sri Lanka
Tiger: India
Ocelot: the Pantanal, Brazil
Jaguar: the Pantanal, Brazil
Puma: Emas, Brazil
Bobcat: California
Euro Lynx: Poland
Caracal: Israel

Next one we try for will be Iberian lynx next month.
and biggest dip serval. Tried a lot but never connected.

Pierre

tomjenner · Mar 21, 2011

I visited Dubai last week and spent a few days out birding. At dusk, while unsuccessfully waiting for Pharaoh Eagle Owl to show itself at the stakeout at Qarn Nazwa, this cat appeared up on the hill about 60m away. Once it saw me it stopped and sat on a rock looking at me for a couple of minutes before sliding away. I think it is the Arabian subspecies of Wild Cat. It was only a couple of km from a village, but it looks like a wild one. What do you think?

Tom

jurek · Mar 21, 2011

PieWie said:
Andean Cat: Peru

Hi Pierre,

Congratulations. Andean Cat was seen alive by non-locals literally only several times, ever. Can you write more?

Pierre van der Wielen · Mar 22, 2011

jurek said:
Hi Pierre,

Congratulations. Andean Cat was seen alive by non-locals literally only several times, ever. Can you write more?

Hi Jurek,

not very much right now, my notes are at home, but accidently I just mailed the local guide a few days ago who was with us during the sighting to ask him if he noted the exact location and altitude.

We saw it in 2000 or 2001 along the LM 116 on our way to Marcapomacocha to look for diademed sandpiper plover. The cat crossed the road in front of our car, jumped down and dissapeared in a grassy area. Some gentle help caused him to leave that out onto the rocks again so the four of us could obtain better views. I took some notes as we did not have a fieldguide for mammals with us. First impression was a thick-furred cat with a long, rather thick, banded tail.

I think it was beyond Carampoma which is at about 3500 m according to google but hope to get that confirmed.

Pierre

jurek · Mar 25, 2011

Hi,

You had indeed great luck, and I think observation may well be worthy publishing somewhere in mammal circles (outside birdforum, that is

)

rockfowl · Mar 28, 2011

tomjenner said:
I visited Dubai last week and spent a few days out birding. At dusk, while unsuccessfully waiting for Pharaoh Eagle Owl to show itself at the stakeout at Qarn Nazwa, this cat appeared up on the hill about 60m away. Once it saw me it stopped and sat on a rock looking at me for a couple of minutes before sliding away. I think it is the Arabian subspecies of Wild Cat. It was only a couple of km from a village, but it looks like a wild one. What do you think?

Tom

Looks good to me Tom.

Farnboro John · Apr 27, 2011

Added Tiger in early April at Bandhavgarh. Seven different individuals, loadsa pix. Absolutely awesome, top cat by a country mile. Report idc on Vacational Trips but I've 3900 pix to edit first.....

John

Mike Richardson · May 31, 2011

skink1978 said:
Another very poor list from me

Bobcat (two sightings in Texas)
Scottish Wildcat
Iberian Lynx (five sightings of two different cats)

I've seen fresh lion tracks in Namibia but not really the same as seeing the real thing!

I have finally added several more after spending a couple of fantastic weeks in South Africa:

-Lion (Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park)
-Cheetah (Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park)
-Leopard (Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park)
-African Wildcat (Kimberley)
-Caracal (West Coast National Park)

antshrike69 · Jun 8, 2011

For me:

Cheetah
Caracal (S Afr)
Wildcat (European and African ssp)
Jungle Cat (India)
Pallas' Cat (Tibetan plateau)
Margay (Iguazu - I was watching a Grey-fronted Dove on the trail when the cat leapt out of the bushes and narrowly missed it...)
Geoffroy's Cat (Paraguay)
Serval (Kenya)
Jaguarundi (various places)
Puma (Paraguay)
Lion (African, Gir)
Tiger (Kaziranga - gave the group a shock when I called it on the drive out of the park!)
Leopard (Kenya, S Afr)

So plenty more to look for. Flat-headed would be nice..

Steve Babbs · Jun 11, 2011

Sorry if this is old news but Surfbirds now has a cat list section now. I'm presently 4th, I predict a fairly rapid decline in my position.

antshrike69 · Jun 18, 2011

Just added Andean Cat this morning while trawling for Junin Canastero. The cat trotted out of the bunch grass a few feet away and made its way up the rocks. One stunning beast.

What cats have you seen? (1 Viewer)

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