BREEDING PROGRAMMES - black footed cats

Blackfooted cat :
Felis nigripes (Burchell 1824) / Microfelis nigripes (Roberts 1926)

Review and perspective

The Red Data book uses the common name of blackfooted cat although the name small spotted cat is also commonly used for this species. The scientific nomenclature, Felis nigripes, is currently acknowledged by the Red Data book. The merits of a subspecies, F. nigripes tomasi, that display darker colouration and occur in Botswana and the Eastern Cape, is currently being investigated.

According to the Red Data book, the blackfooted cat is categorized as “least concern”. This differs from the local listing in 1986 when the animal was classified as “rare”. The current global classification of the species is ‘vulnerable”.

The estimated number of the species in the wild is estimated at more than 10 000 with less than 10 000 mature individuals.

The number of blackfooted cats in captive environments (2002 and 2003) was given by the Red Data book as 21.

Rationale for breeding the blackfooted cats

The propagation of these cats in captive environments is difficult with high mortality figures, especially among young animals. Instances of prolicide and cannibalism, where adult animals kill and consume kittens, have been recorded.

These cats are naturally aggressive and highly strung, a factor that could contribute to the above mentioned abnormal behaviour. Instances of mortality due to kidney failure have been recorded in a number of captive populations. The successful breeding of this species requires active management and ethological observations to identify and manage stressful behaviour, especially during breeding season.

During 2002 there were only 104 blackfooted cats listed in the international studbook. Due to the difficulty in breeding this species in captivity, many of the blackfooted cats in zoos and other captive environments are wild-caught specimens. This could be a threat to wild populations of blackfooted cats as the numbers of animals that occur in the wild were largely extrapolated from research that was done in areas with optimal habitats for this species.

To date, the Centre has been able to manage the breeding programme with different genetic lineages of animals at the institution. The limited stock that is available as well as the ageing of some of the breeding stock will necessitate augmenting the current stock with unrelated bloodlines from other breeding institutions.

The HESC co-operates with the International Studbook keeper of blackfooted cats at Wuppertal Zoo in Germany as far as the breeding of this species is concerned. The experiences on different aspects of breeding the species at the HESC have been recorded at the Centre. This information can be used in the establishment of other breeding centres in an attempt to decentralize the breeding in captive environments. The aim is to provide captive-bred animals to zoos, thereby limiting the collection of wild blackfooted cats in the wild.

Click here to read an article on the value of captive populations for quantitative genetics research relating to the Blackfooted cat.

HESC is in contact with the European Felid Tag chair Alex Sliwa who is also running the scientific programs of Black Footed Cats in South Africa and looking into a future close corporation with the European breeding program (EEP) for 2011.

In March the felid TAG chair group will meet to discus the future strategy of the Black footed cat project in Europe. This will also be the meeting where the corporation between HESC and Ree Park will be presented and discussed. The is the Bfc working group in South Africa will be delighted to have a serious corporation partner in ZA to be able to send confiscated Bfc's etc.