The African golden cat (Caracal aurata) is a forest-dependent felid endemic to the tropical forests of West and Central Africa, where deforestation and bushmeat hunting are driving population declines. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the species remains one of the least studied wild cats, and the lack of range-wide genetic data currently limits effective conservation planning.
In this project, we use high-throughput sequencing of historical museum specimens combined with field-collected samples to investigate (i) the geographic structure and evolutionary history of the African golden cat across its range and (ii) the taxonomic status and demographic history of its major lineages.
Our approach will provide the first range-wide evolutionary framework for the African golden cat, enabling a taxonomic reassessment of the species, the delineation of conservation units, and evidence-based conservation planning. The involvement of the NGO Panthera will facilitate the translation of these findings into conservation actions across West and Central Africa.
Emilie Lecompte
Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l’Environnement (CRBE)
Université de Toulouse
France
Marine Drouilly, Christopher Orbell, Phillip Henschel, Axel Moehrenschlager
Panthera
New York
USA
Collaborators
Odzala-Kokoua-Lossi Foundation, Republic of Congo
Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Gabon
Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves, Côte d’Ivoire
