By Helen BriggsBBC News
19 January 2018
It's the smallest cat in the
Americas, occupying the smallest area of land.
Listed as vulnerable to
extinction, the güiña wildcat of Chile has lost much of its natural home as
forests are chopped down or converted to farmland.
And, like many carnivores, it's
at risk from human persecution over fears it might kill livestock.
However, new research shows the
animal is able to survive near human settlements on agricultural land.
Its biggest threat is being
squeezed out when land is broken up into smaller areas, say conservationists.
The guiña is known variously as
the little tiger cat, little spotted cat or Chilean cat. About half the size of
the domestic cat, it is one of the most threatened cat species in South
America.
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