LEOPARDUS MUNOAI

One of our highest priority goals at the moment is to have Brazil’s Federal Government recognize the Pampas Cats’ Evolutionary Significant Units as separate species. Brazilian legislation only applies at the species level and not the population level. In light of the recently proposed taxonomy for the Pampas Cat species complex, Wild Cats Brazil urges Brazil’s Government to recognize L. braccatus and L. munoai as distinctive species. If they continue to be treated as a single taxon, L. munoai runs the risk of imminent extinction. Each species needs a separate threat assessment in order to design and implement effective conservation actions for each. Wild Cats Brazil founder Dr. Tadeu de Oliveira along with several other Brazilian scientist have written a letter to the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiveristy Conservation (ICMBio), summarizing the need for recognizing both populations as full species.