CAT was established in 1996 to organize and fund high priority conservation projects for the worlds 36 species of wild cat. CAT is a U.S.-based, IRS-certified 501[c][3] nonprofit public charity directed by Kristin Nowell, the chief compiler of the Cat Action Plan and member of the Cat Specialist Groups Steering Committee.
Cat Specialist Group
The Cat Specialist Group is an association of over 200 of the worlds leading experts on the 36 wild cat species which comprise the family Felidae. Our members are at the forefront of cat conservation through their positions as wildlife biologists, rangers, conservation planners, photographers and writers, geneticists, taxonomists, veterinarians, and captive breeders. Unlike other major conservation organizations where the staff is largely based in urban centers in Europe and the U.S., the Cat Specialist Group has members working in more than 70 countries around the world, from Armenia to Zimbabwe. We offer a comprehensive and scientific body of expertise on the worlds cats which is unmatched by any other group. Our members have carried out the first radiotelemetry field studies of snow leopards, tigers, lions, cheetahs, jaguars, and mountain lions – all the big cats, and we are beginning to tackle the difficult task of getting to know the smaller, more mysterious species. We teach students about predators and wildlife biology in the major university zoology programs of the world. We draw up and implement cat conservation strategies for governments. We are at the cutting edge of efforts to bring the illegal trade in cat products such as tiger bone under control, and to develop ways to minimize the inevitable conflict that exists between big cats and livestock farmers.
The Cat Specialist Group is one of over 100 specialist groups, ranging from Medicinal Plants to Hippos, organized by the Species Survival Commission of IUCN-the World Conservation Union. The World Conservation Union is the worlds oldest international nature conservation organization, and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the United Nations of the conservation community, a forum where member states and organizations convene every three years to plan and coordinate global conservation efforts. The United States government is an active member and plays a leading role. Although IUCN is not widely known outside the professional conservation community, its sister organization, the World Wildlife Fund, has a much higher public profile. The IUCNs Species Survival Commission, similar to UN commissions such as the High Commission on Refugees, is a consultative, volunteer network of scientific experts. Altogether there are nearly 7,000 members of the Species Survival Commission around the world, forming a unique resource network for biodiversity conservation.
WHO WE SERVE
CAT works most closely with the professional conservation community . The Cat Action Plan has been sent to the wildlife agencies of every country in the world, and to every major conservation organization. These agencies and groups are the employers of Cat Specialist Group members, and are CATs project partners.
We are increasing our contact with the professional development community, ranging from small grassroots groups focused on a local community to major organizations such as the World Bank. This is in part due to increasing awareness in the development world about the danger of neglecting biodiversity in their project planning. Also, the conservation community is realizing that a project has the best chance of long-term success if local people benefit from conservation.
Many Cat Specialist Group members are part of the academic research community , and are associated with most major papers published in scientific journals about cats. Our areas of expertise include felid behavior and ecology, predation and population management, genetics, taxonomy, disease and pathology.
Our members also write popular books and articles for the general public [example: Elizabeth Marshall Thomass best-selling book Tribe of Tiger: Cats and Their Culture. Most nature films featuring cats have benefited from working closely with us. We respond to numerous requests from students of all ages seeking more information about their favorite cats, or seeking to get involved in conservation efforts.
We are often consulted by the media, and have been instrumental in raising public awareness about critical issues in cat conservation. For example, the Cat Specialist Group first raised the alarm about the crisis facing the tiger due to poaching for the traditional Asian medicinal market.
We like to think of ourselves as serving cats, having devoted our lives to looking after them, as well as future generations, that they too should have the privilege and opportunity.