Swartpootkat

[johan]

Swartpootkat,Miershooptier,Kleingekoldekat,African Blackfooted Cat,Small spotted cat,Felis nigripes

Noem hom wat jy wil,sien julle manne die katte nog gereeld met julle jagtogte snags?
Ek het al redelik van hulle gesien in Aberdeenweg omgewing en ook tussen Conway en Hofmeyer.
Vreeslike helder oog vir sy klein lyfie.

[tafjak]

Johan

Die onderwerp kan seker nie toevallig wees nie, ek het dinsdagaand 'n wyfiekat gesien. Hulle is nogal sku en kon vir 'n oomblik nie verstaan waarom hierdie kat so traag is om te verdwyn nie, totdat ek haar kleintjie sien.

Ek is baie gelukkig om redelik van hulle nog te sien in my omwentelinge tussen die veevreters. Hulle kom nogal in 'n baie groot gebied van die Karoo voor.

Groetnis

Tafjak

[johan]

Tafjak

Dit moet seker toeval wees,ek het ook nou die aand n makat en een kleintjie raakgelig,dis hoekom ek die vraag gevra het of julle manne nog die skaars katte sien.

johan

[tafjak]

Johan

Ek wonner of die manne belang sal stel om om so rowwe opname sal doen, want ek sien van hierdie katte nogal oor 'n wye gebied. Dit is nie net in die Ooskaap nie.

Groetnis

Tafjak

[johan]

Tafjak

Ek het hulle nog net in Karoo vlakte veld gekry.

johan

[JACQUES BOTHA]

EK HET DAAI KLEIN KATJIES AL ORAL IN DIE VRRYSTAAT OOK GEKRY... VAN SMITHFIELD TOT MIDDELBURG  VAN BRANDFORD TOT KOFFIEFONTEIN ....HULLE KOM VERAL NABY DIE PANNE VOOR AL OM DIE KANTE WAAR DIE GRAS LEKKER DIG IS ....

[johan]

meso

Kon jy moontlike prooidiertjies vir die katte in die gras waarneem?

johan

[jaracal]

Johan
Jy praat van prooidiertjies. Ek het een aand op 'n wyfie kat met 2 kleintjies afgery waar sy 'n uitgegroeide vlakhaas gevang het. Ek was baie verbaas dat so 'n klein katjie so 'n groot prooi kon vang. Ek sien baie van hulle en wonder nogal hoekom hulle op CITES 1 gelys is. Weereens dink ek omdat ander mense hulle nie gereeld sien nie bestaan die opvatting dat hulle skaars is. Soek hulle op die regte plekke en regte tyd van die aand en jy sien baie van hulle. Hier is 'n vidoe wat ek van 'n jong katjie afgeneem het.
http://s374.photobucket.com/albums/oo190/jaracal/?action=view&current=blackfooted_cat.flv

Wat ek wel nog net 2 keer in die 13 jaar gesien het is 'n slangmuishond. Kon ongelukkig nie vinnig genoeg my kamera op die diertjie gerig kry nie. Lyk baie soos 'n stink muishond net baie smaller en bietjie kleiner.

Nog 'n interessante gebeurtenis is waar 'n mannetjie erdvark 'n wyfie court (lei ek af) maar koel 'n draad die mannetjie se drange vinnig af.
http://s374.photobucket.com/albums/oo190/jaracal/?action=view&current=erdvark.flv

Groete

Heinrich

[johan]

Hein
My sisteen is te stadig om dit te kyk,sal anderdag dit en die blesbok graag wil sien as telkom weer werk.
Ek het al n stel maanhare sien paar,sit vas nes honde,en dit grom en tjank iets verskriklik.

Daai klein katjie n vlakhaas vang? Die haas was seker olik

johan

[jaracal]

Caller het die volgende geskryf:
johan

Dit is bekend dat swartpootkatjies 'n vlakhaas kan vang, weet net nie van 'n kaapse kolhaas nie. Hierdie is beslis van daardie katjies wat nie sonder handskoenne hanteer nie. Ek sien ook gere?ld van di? katte in die Wes-Vrystaat (Dealesville, Boshof, Hertzogville) areas.

Dit is moeilik om te s? of hulle skaars of volop is, want hulle getalle in 'n gegewe gebied is van nature maar laag. Ek glo nie hulle sal byvoorbeeld so vollop raak soos maanhare nie.

Ek het nogal een aand 'n kleintjie ingeroep, shame skaars so groot soos 'n bierblik maar hy het tot 10 tre? van die trok af gekom en toe 'n groot miskruier wat deur die rooi lig aangetrek is, bespring, gevang en opgevreet, te pragtig.

Manne wees maar versigtig, di? meneertjies het ongelooflik helder o? vir sy size, maar die o? is gewoonlik onnatuurlik laag in die gras (lyk of hulle op die grond is) wanneer hy inkom, wat identifikasie op 'n langer afstand makliker maak. Onnodig om te s?, moet nooit skiet voordat jy nie die dier ordentlik kan I.D. nie.


Caller

[tafjak]

Caller

Ek weet die ou katjies is nogal nuuskierig by 'n roepery, maar nog nooit een gesien wat 'n haas gevang het nie. Al wat ek kan rapporteer is dat  de goed naels en tanne orals op hulle lyf het, probeer ene vang. Dit voel eers of jou hande in kookwater is en dan in 'n stoof.

Groetnis

Taffie

[johan]

mmmmmmmmm.......Slagtande soos toothpicks

[Beryl]

Hi All
My name is Beryl Wilson, and I am the Project Manager of the Black-footed Cat Working Group.? I am an ethologist (wildlife behavioural specialist) based at the McGregor Museum, Kimberley.? I have been working on this cat species for the past 12 years, and am currently involved in a 3rd field study which begun in 2004.? This project is looking at the ecology, reproductive biology, health and conservation of the cats in southern Africa. My colleagues on the project are 2 Americans and 2 Germans and currently all my funding comes from overseas zoo organisations.
My particular focus on the project is the habitat preferences of the cats, as well as the current and historical distribution patterns of the species.? I can certainly answer many of the queries I have seen posted on this forum. In particular, I would also like to invite people to contact me with sightings, accidental mortalities (shooting/trapping/poisoning), road kills and any other information about this cat species.? All records will be captured into a database and the information used in a thesis.? All data is treated as highly confidential.? I would also like to obtain carcasses (preferably fresh and/or frozen) from which I can still extract valuable genetic and biological information.? These will be placed in Museum?s zoological collections.
Whilst the cat is certainly widespread, it is by no means common and actually only occurs in fragmented populations.? A 10 000 farm with ideal habitat would only contain about 4-5 cats. Overall, the Working Group suspects that there are about 10 000 mature breeding adults left in the wild and that this number is certainly on the decline due to habitat fragmentation, loss of prey base and the effect of larger predators/competitors like jackal, caracal and African wild cats.
For more information on the cats themselves, as well as past reports of field trips carried out by the Working Group, please visit www.wild-cat.org? Information can also be reported to me via e-mail at berylwa@museumsnc.co.za or via cellphone at 083 292 2008 or office at 053 839 2727.? I also have posters available which explain the information I am seeking, and I would be happy to send these to interested people.?
To date farmers, hunters and problem control experts have been the most valuable and reliable source of information on this species, and I would urgently request that any records (no matter how old) be passed on to me in order for me to get a more comprehensive and accurate picture so that we can propose the appropriate conservation measures.? 

[tafjak]

Wecome Beryl

These little cats do interest myself and a lot of people I know. I stil think that the population density stated by yourself is not aplicable in the Karoo but can be close, say closer to 8 animals on 10 000 hectars and only in the parts of the Karoo I operate.

I don't see any of these cats on roadkills for we don't have that many highways and major roads. What I know is that people from the villages like to trap and eat the cats. The biggest danger at this moment, and look like you agree are jackals.

I can asure you that jackal hunters would not kill the cats. On the courses I have been is stated that to identify the jackal or caracal before you shoot and that alone and honesty will ensure the little cats numbers. And now am I drained from all my English and can only reply in this language next year.

Taffie

[Christo]

Yu spiek werrie delisoslie maai man.

Knap gedaan Taffie, netjiese brits.

My speltoetser wil nie eens my brits probeer nie.

[Christo]

Beryl

Ek stuur vir jou 'n e-mail vir daardie poster

Christo

[Caller]

Beryl

Ek soek ook 'n poster, stuur my email adres vir jou.

Caller

 

[Beryl]

Hi Everyone
Thank you for the replies and requests for posters I have already received. 

Please note, I am certainly not accusing anyone of deliberately shooting black-footed cats!  It has however, happened and to date about 20 of my best records come from chaps who accidentally did.  They probably now have better scopes on their rifles! 

Regarding the density of these cats in the Karoo, which we believe to be the stronghold for this species and thus expect the area to have the highest numbers of this species within its known range.  Let me give you some back ground to work we have done in that area.  In the Loxton area on 30 000ha over ten days - none (and very little else in terms of prey and predators too). 

We have just (Feb 2009) spent a week on a 10 000ha sheep farm south of De Aar where we caught 2 cats (one adult female and one female kitten - unrelated to the other adult).  We radio-collared the adult and in the week we spent with her, she covered about 2000 hectares regularly.  Given that there are at least 2 adult females in the area (one of which recently had kittens) there must be a male cat too (or at least until fairly recently).  Normally a male cat shares about 40% of his territority (~ 3000ha) with 2 females so again we think our estimates of numbers are still in the ballpark, with some obvious variations depending on habitat quality and prey abundance.  I should point out that an adult can range from 12-32km in one night (based on hundreds of nights of observing radio-collared cats) so it is highly possible to see the same cat several kilometres away in the same night a few hours later.  This often results in the impression that there are more cats than in reality.  In fact, the farmer whos property we worked on had estimated that there were about 5 cats on his farm, and he was amazed when he realised just how widely and fast a single cat ranges.  On the night in question he joined the radio-tracking, it was also pouring with rain which slows a cat down in terms of walking and feeding!

Incidentally, I am fluent in Afrikaans and pretty good in German (but type way too slowly in either language!), so please feel free to correspond with me in the language of your choice.  However, the English was excellent anyway!

[tafjak]

Beryl

Baie, baie dankie vir die Afrikaans en Duits. Ek sal bietjie sukkel met die Duits, eintlik enige taal.

Ek dink jy is baie reg met die habitat grootte van die katte omdat ek baie jong katte in die laaste tyd sien en dat jonges seker lank saam met wyfiekat bly. Gisteaand 'n groot mannetjie gesien en my jag area was net so 600 hetaar gewees.

As Caller 'n poster kry sal ek ook graag een wil he.

Groete

Taffie

[Ambessa]

Haal Beryl and all

This is a very timely request. I know you will get response on your request for information to assist in expanding our knowledge on the Black-footed Cat.

Ambessa

[Ambessa]

Hallo Beryl

Please ignore the bad spelling in my previous message. The gist remains the same.

Ambessa

[Beryl]

Hi Everyone

So here is the information I need when you report a black-footed cat sighting:

Date
Time
Location: either GPS reading or nearest farm or town
Habitat or situation: description or photo
Observer/s name and contact details - Please note, that you can report sightings through this forum (which I will now check on a regular basis), or directly to me via e-mail or telephone.  No matter how you report the sightings, please be assured of total confidentiality at all times.  There will never be a nature conservation official knocking at your door with information that came from me! I personally like to communicate directly with observers as they often give me additional valuable information.

Please record and report road casualties too.  If carcasses are fresh (and your wife does not object!), double-bag them and pop them into the freezer.  I will make arrangements to get it from you as they all still contain very valuable genetic and other biological material.

Once again, my contact details are:

Beryl Wilson
Project Manager:  Black-footed Cat Working Group
McGregor Museum
P.O. Box 316
Kimberley
8300
Office:  053 839 2727
Fax:  053 842 1433
Cell:  083 292 2008
e-mail:  berylwa@museumsnc.co.za or berylwa@gmail.com

Incidentally, I am also interested in any zoological unusual sightings or occurances from the Northern Cape region.  These can include anything from striped weasels to worm lizards!

[Ambessa]

Hallo Beryl

Pop over to "Navorsings Data Blad" and you will find a download that maight be very usefull.

It is more comprehensive than the conventional way of measuring the bodies of predators, but it allows for the capturing of more useful data and information.

All the very best with your initiative.

Ambessa

[jaracal]

Hi Beryl
I have seen a black footed cat on the farm Elandsnek, distr Strydenburg. GPS coordinates: S29.45,036; E 023.34,906 on Tuesday 3 March 2009 at 04h30. I found it on an area with very short brush, about 300m x 400m big surrounded by heavy cover of drie-doring. I have an idea that it was a tomcat, for it was a little bigger than the others I've seen.

Hein Funck

[Beryl]

Hi Hein

Wonderful.  This is just the type of record I am looking for.  Tom cats have big heads, and some of the locals around Kimberley actually refer to it as the "klein dikkopkat".

Keep the records coming in!

Regards

Beryl