Camera traps documented an Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita) in Malargüe, Mendoza Province, for the third consecutive year, according to WCS Argentina on May 12, 2026. The 2026 record was made less than 10 kilometers from La Payunia Protected Natural Area. It is evidence that the elusive cat continues to use this landscape—not proof that its population is growing or has recovered.
What the latest Andean cat record shows
WCS Argentina reported detections in Malargüe in 2024, 2025, and 2026. The latest images show the cat in rocky terrain near La Payunia, and local livestock producers provided information that helped guide the monitoring. WCS’s María José Bolgeri, its regenerative management manager, described the finding as confirmation that the cat continues to be in the area and that conservation efforts are producing concrete results; that is an English translation of her Spanish statement.
A separate announcement by Greater Good Charities on September 15, 2026, describes WCS footage captured on January 30 east of La Payunia. It does not establish whether that footage is the same record covered by WCS in May. The two announcements therefore should not be counted as four consecutive years or as two distinct 2026 detections without confirmation.
Why is the Andean cat so rarely seen?
The Andean cat is a small, solitary wild felid with a long, bushy tail. It lives in remote, cold, arid environments, including high-Andean and Puna terrain and the southern Andean steppe. Its range crosses Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its habitat and elusive behavior make regular observation difficult; WCS describes the species as hard to see.
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The species is considered rare. WCS Argentina’s May 2026 report gives a worldwide estimate of fewer than 2,200 Andean cats. A separate September 2026 Greater Good Charities release cites around 2,100 mature cats. Those are differently worded estimates from separate sources, not interchangeable counts or an independently verified census.
How camera traps help find Andean cats
Images gathered over time
A camera trap is a camera triggered by motion. Researchers place these cameras where they believe an animal lives or travels, using previous records and observations from local residents to choose locations. When an animal passes, the camera can capture an image without requiring a person to be present. Researchers then review the images to identify the species and document where and when it appeared. WCS describes this approach in its account of camera-trap monitoring for Andean cats.
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What a photograph can—and cannot—establish
A confirmed image supports a presence record: an Andean cat was at a particular monitored place at a particular time. Repeated detections can show continued use of an area and contribute to knowledge of distribution. A single photograph does not, by itself, reveal how many cats live there, prove reproduction, or show that a population is recovering.
Camera records and local observations serve complementary roles. Cameras provide repeatable image records at selected sites; people who live or work in the landscape can point researchers toward likely locations and share observations beyond camera coverage. The available reporting does not provide a controlled comparison of the two approaches’ accuracy or cost.
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WCS also reported an adult and a juvenile in Malargüe in August 2024, interpreting the juvenile as evidence of reproduction. That was a separate observation, not a conclusion drawn from the 2026 photograph.
Why local monitoring matters for conservation
WCS says it has studied Andean-cat distribution in northern Patagonia since 2005. It reports threats including retaliatory killing associated with livestock losses, vehicle collisions, declines in chinchillón—a key prey animal—habitat degradation linked to hydrocarbon and mineral extraction, and climate impacts. An earlier WCS account also discusses hunting and poisoning, overgrazing, habitat loss, and increasing heat and aridity.
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Local information can help direct monitoring toward places where cats may pass and reveal threats that a camera image alone cannot explain. WCS credits information from producers in the Malargüe work. Its terrestrial protected areas manager, Fernando Miñarro, has emphasized in Spanish that wildlife such as the Andean cat needs protection both inside and outside protected-area boundaries.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Coexistence measures aim to reduce livestock losses without killing wildlife
WCS and the Andean Cat Alliance promote nonlethal ways to protect livestock. Measures described by WCS include livestock guardian dogs raised with herds, improved night enclosures, and lights or sounds intended to deter predators from approaching livestock. The 2024 camera records WCS described were on producer lands where guardian dogs had been adopted.
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In its May 2026 account, WCS said it had supported 90 livestock producers with nonlethal techniques. WCS also reported that 84% of producers adopting alternatives said the methods effectively reduced predation losses and that 89% stopped hunting carnivores and scavenger birds. The cited account does not state the sample size or study design, so these figures describe WCS’s reported results, not a universal estimate of how the measures will work on every farm.
WCS’s May 2026 story says 50% of the records it found in its regional work were cats killed by livestock producers seeking to avoid losses. It also attributes 75% of confirmed regional records to more than two decades of WCS Argentina’s work. These are figures reported by WCS about its research context, not national population estimates.
La Payunia’s role in the wider landscape
The 2026 record was made close to, but outside, the boundary of La Payunia Protected Natural Area. That location matters because wildlife does not necessarily remain within protected-area borders. Continued monitoring in the surrounding landscape can help show where cats are using habitat and where coexistence measures may be needed.
In March 2025, Mendoza accepted a donation of 40,000 hectares within La Payunia into the public domain, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s announcement. WCS named WCS Argentina, Greater Good Charities, and GreaterGood.com as the organizations that purchased and donated the land. Greater Good Charities’ September 2026 account also describes habitat restoration, reduced livestock pressure, and work with landowners alongside WCS; those are partner-reported conservation activities, not an independent assessment of the Andean cat population.
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