African golden cat  (Profelis aurata)

The lack of biological and population information means it is hard to determine the status of the African golden cat in the wild (5). However, its habitat and prey populations are known to be contracting (2). The moist forests of West Africa have been heavily degraded and the remaining areas are patchily distributed (5). ‘Savannization', a process in which forest is turned into savanna as a result of slash-and-burn agriculture and logging, has probably led to population declines and fragmentation (5). There is some hunting of the African golden cat, as cat skins regularly appear in markets (2), and hunting of small antelopes decreases the cats' prey (5). African golden cats are also killed while raiding poultry sheds or going after domestic sheep and goats (4).

The African golden cat is listed on Appendix II of the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which means that international trade should be carefully monitored to ensure it is compatible with the species' survival (3). Hunting of the golden cat is prohibited in 12 of its range countries, and hunting regulations exist in Gabon, Liberia and Togo (5). Also, despite the forest loss and prey depletion occurring in much of its range, the African golden cat is reported to exist in secondary forest and survive on small rodents, and thus may be in less danger of extinction as some other small cats (4). In addition, large areas of relatively pristine forest still exist in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo and Gabon (5). Hopefully action can be taken before this beautiful cat and the remarkably diverse forests it inhabits decline further.