A little feline was found by an invaluable conservation device, and its documented presence gives researchers a lot of hope.
At Dehing Patkai National Park in Assam, India, a trail camera snapped a reassuring sight: a marbled cat.
Marbled cats are small wildcats native to Southeast Asia. They're similar in size to domestic cats and usually weigh just 5-7 pounds. Thriving in dense forest canopies, these elusive cats are difficult for researchers to spot.
The trail camera's picture of the marbled cat is a relief for conservationists since the cat is considered near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
An audio recorder in the same park recently helped researchers find "a pair of endangered white-winged ducks," per The Sentinel.
Trail cameras and audio recorders are useful tools for conservation and preservation. They help researchers track populations and document the behaviors of animals.
Since the presence of human researchers can disrupt or scare wildlife, trail cameras can catch nature at its uninterrupted best. A trail camera was able to spot the South American tapir, which hadn't been seen by humans in over 100 years and was considered to be extinct.
Over 46,000 species are threatened with extinction, according to IUCN's Red List. That's 28% of all species it's assessed, and this number is expected to rise. Mammals, amphibians, plants, trees, birds, sharks — no species is safe.
When species are endangered or go extinct, they disrupt a fragile ecosystem. Predators may starve, or prey populations can go unchecked. Extinction is a domino effect, and it can quickly spiral.
But conservation efforts work, and with education, preservation, and protection, we can save the thousands of unique, valuable creatures and critters that coexist with us.
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Definitely 👍 "The IUCN Red List is crucial not only for helping to identify those species in need of targeted recovery efforts but also for focusing the conservation agenda by identifying the key sites and habitats that need to be protected," IUCN said.
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