We are living through, not always with sufficient awareness, the sixth mass extinction in the history of the planet, which is decimating the number of living species. The main victims of the current abnormal extinction rate are amphibians (41 per cent of species risk disappearing forever), but the decline is also rapid for large mammals, particularly predators. Over the past twenty years the number of big cats, such as lions, tigers and leopards, has fallen considerably, but smaller, less well-known and less charismatic species are also in danger. 13 per cent of wild felines are classified as endangered by the Red List of the Iucn (although fortunately none is critically endangered), and many populations are in decline; a further 34 per cent is considered vulnerable.

The causes of decline

Around the world, wild felines face numerous challenges, above all habitat loss and degradation, a decline in prey and hunting. In many parts of the planet these animals are killed illegally for body parts that are highly sought after in traditional medicine. Moreover, establishing the actual conservation status of certain species is no easy task — felines, as is well known, are incredibly elusive animals, apparently capable of turning themselves into ghosts. For 20 per cent of threatened wild feline species, researchers have only partial and insufficient data. According to the Iucn, five of the 38 existing species of wild feline are endangered. Let's find out which they are.

Borneo bay cat (Catopuma badia)

The Borneo bay cat, endemic to the Asian island of the same name, is one of the least known feline species in the world. It lives deep in forests, is nocturnal in its habits and is modest in size (it does not exceed seventy centimetres, tail included). The population of Borneo bay cats is estimated at around 2,200 individuals of reproductive age. This species, classified as endangered, is particularly threatened by poaching (it is hunted both for its pelt and to be kept as a pet) and by habitat loss caused mainly by the expansion of oil palm plantations.

Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita)

This small feline, apparently not very different from an ordinary domestic cat, lives in inhospitable areas characterised by predominantly rocky and steep terrain, such as the high clearings of the Andes and the steppes of Patagonia. Here too it is difficult to make a precise estimate of the individuals existing in the wild, but researchers believe there are approximately 1,380. The most serious threats to the survival of Andean cats, classified as endangered, come from agricultural expansion, the impact of livestock farming, hunting and ecosystem degradation.

Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)

The Iberian lynx is considered the most at-risk feline species in the world. There are thought to be just 400 individuals in the wild, roaming in search of rabbits among the Mediterranean scrubland of the Iberian Peninsula. The species is classified as endangered but fortunately the population is slowly growing thanks to conservation efforts. Despite the increase in lynx numbers, their survival is still at risk due to urbanisation and a decline in rabbits caused by a strain of viral haemorrhagic disease. Among the conservation measures being considered is precisely an increase in the number of rabbits, the main prey of these rare felines.

Tiger (Panthera tigris)

In this list of threatened felines, the tiger is without doubt the most iconic and well-known species. Tigers are classified as endangered, threatened above all by illegal wildlife trade and infrastructure expansion. Nonetheless, in 2016 the number of these big cats began to grow again for the first time in more than a hundred years. Thanks to conservation projects — most notably the Tx2 project by Wwf — and more far-sighted policies, the global tiger population has risen from 3,200 individuals in 2010 to the current 3,890.

Flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps)

The flat-headed cat is a small feline that owes its name to the peculiar shape of its skull, which is elongated and flattened. These animals favour the wetland and coastal areas of Malaysia and Thailand, Sumatra and Borneo, particularly where mangrove forests are present. The flat-headed cat is endangered, primarily due to the ongoing destruction of wetlands and lowland forests. Around 2,500 individuals of reproductive age are estimated to survive.