Rare Wild Cats

A list of rare wild cats. The Iberian lynx and Iriomote cat are probably the rarest wild cats. How do you judge what is a rare wild cat when you don't know the population sizes of the wildcats? Rarity is assessed on how few there are in the world. However, with respect to all wild cats we don't know precisely how many there are.

We know that some wild cat species are more numerous than others. There are more bobcats that tigers for instance. Also, when the population becomes very low scientists do more research as the species nears extinction in the wild. This provides more data on numbers. It is shame we can't take better proactive steps to protect wildcats.

These are the rare wild cats on my assessment - numbers are cats in the wild. The links have been selected. There are many more. Please start here.

• Bay cat - very secretive and lives in the virgin forests of Borneo that are being logged at a rapid rate. Don't have numbers.
• Siberian tiger - 400 approx. left in the wild. Inbreeding problems. Population is stable.
• Asiatic lion - lives in the GIR Forest in Northwest India. 359 left. Inbreeding problems?
• Scottish wild cat - 400 approx. left in wild and we are not sure how many of these are purebred.
• South China tiger - I say this cat is extinct but others will disagree. Whatever - it is extremely rare or extinct.
• Sumatran tiger - 100-400 left.
• Iriomote cat - subspecies of leopard cat - extremely rare - about 100 left. Lives on the Japanese island of Iriomote.
• Andean cat - estimated 2,000 left. Persecuted by locals and loss of habitat and prey.
• Iberian lynx - almost extinct. Population 84-123 (2009). Lives in Southern Portugal and Spain. Hunted to near extinction and loss of prey.

That is my list compiled out my of my head more or less. The white tiger is not a subspecies of tiger and is only in captivity (highly inbred).