These Andean cat pictures are by Jim Sanderson Ph.D. Almost all the Andean cat photographs on the internet are by Jim Sanderson and the ones that you see above are certainly well circulated! Jim kindly agreed to let me publish them here. He has, however, it appears, put them into the public domain but please ask him first (this is his website) or use the one on Wikipedia. I suspect that this is to promote conservation. With his colleagues in Chile, Peru and Argentina, he has done more than anyone else to highlight the conservation requirements of this small wildcat and carry them out. Jim Sanderson Ph.D. is a small wildcat specialist scientist.
The Andean cat is a rare wildcat that looks deceptively like a large domestic cat. There are an estimated 2,000 or so remaining in the wild - a precariously low population. I don't know if there are any in captivity. If there are it won't be many and they probably won't be doing well. In domestic cat terms the coat is a tabby coat. The heavily banded tail is one of the most striking physical features. It is quite long indicating a need to maintain balance on rocky surfaces. This cat lives in a rather harsh (by our standards) and barren landscape that is cold, in the Andes Mountains. Its main prey is the mountain vizcacha. It is sympatric with the Pampas cat. Read more about where this cat is and how it lives.
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