The Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita) is the most threatened cat in the Americas and is  found in South America mainly in the high Andes of Peru and Bolivia, north of Chile and northern Argentina. There have been only 10 recorded sightings of these secretive cats in 25 years which means researchers, along with the general public, know very little about them. The rarer the cat the harder they are to study and protect, but the nonprofit organization the Andean Cat Alliance (Alianza Gato Andino, or “AGA”) is hoping to change that.

Members of the AGA have released the first ever Andean cat documentary in hopes of raising awareness, locally and globally, for this extremely threatened species. “Seeking the Andean Cat is a multidisciplinary network of volunteers consisting of conservationists, communication experts and wildlife advocates. It is time that people around the world get a look into the secretive world — and the survival difficulties — of this beautiful cat from the Andes Mountains.”

“After 15 years of searching, conservationists found the perfect place to film this very elusive cat in the Andes Mountains. The Andean cat is the only cat listed as Endangered in the Americas by the IUCN with less than 1400 mature individual adults throughout its range.“

Once you have watched the documentary please go to the Ladera Sur page and  vote for the film by scrolling down to the bottom and picking Seeking the Andean Cat. Voting remains open for the next two weeks!

To find out more about these unique wild cats and the important conservation work being done to protect them, be sure to follow Seeking the Andean Cat on Facebook and Instagram.