Identifying biodiversity is very important, as it helps to monitor species and protect them. That is how we discovered the African golden cat during our research in the Mpanga Central Forest Reserve, Uganda. This species had never been observed before in Central Uganda, a region which is 1,5x bigger than the Netherlands. The nearest population of the African golden cat is located more than 200km away from the Mpanga Central Forest Reserve.
As this is a special discovery, our article was published in IUCN Cat News. There had been no previous observations of the African golden cat in this area through pictures, tracks, DNA or sightings. These discoveries are crucial for the protection of endangered species. They stimulate the creation of protected areas, as well as the monitoring of the populations and their distribution. You can read the article here.
We have received permission of the National Forestry Authority to continue our wildlife research to determine the population size of the African golden cat in the Mpanga forest. Of course we hope to spot more members of the same species. Considering the distance from the Mpanga forest to the closest living population, it is likely that a population of golden cats is living near the forest. After a few months of extensive research, we will confirm if we were able to locate them!
How you can help us
You can help our research on the African golden cat by making a donation through the form on the right.
