wildlife – Pain In The Bud

Caturday Open Comments: The Closer The Cat, The Happier The Human, Study Finds. PLUS: P-22’s $100m Legacy

Open comments, open topics!

Welcome to this week’s Caturday open comments and open topics. This is our second week running posts like this, so if you didn’t join us last week, you’re welcome to comment on anything, suggest stories, talk about your own cats, or describe the many ways in which Buddy is a dapper and diggity diggity dope feline, as DasEFX might say.

P-22’s lasting legacy: the world’s largest wildlife corridor

Three years after his death, the world’s most famous puma’s legacy continues to expand with the construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.

The crossing straddles 10 lanes of US 101 and a local road, stretching 210 feet to link the Santa Monica Mountains ecosystem to the Simi Hills. Along with restoring 13 acres of habitat, the $100 million project provides a safe way for mountain lions and other animals to travel between fragmented habitats.

Aerial view of a green space on top of a highway overpass, with construction workers in safety vests walking on a dirt path. Surrounding areas have rocky terrains and vegetation. — The wildlife crossing under construction. Credit: KTLA

It also recreates the route P-22 himself took when he migrated from the San Diego area to Los Angeles as a young puma. He settled in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, an improbable home for a large wild predator, let alone a member of his often wide-ranging species.

The route is extremely perilous for mountain lions, already under threat from habitat fragmentation, hunting and ecological pressures. P-22’s remarkable resilience became the stuff of legend when researchers realized where he was born and the journey he’d taken to his final home.

The puma became iconic in Los Angeles, often appearing on Ring doorball cameras, spotted by hikers on the trails above Hollywood Hills, and even resting in the backyards of homes neighboring Griffith Park. Sightings were frequently posted to socials like Instagram and Facebook, where locals bonded over their admiration for P-22 and the rest of us admired him from afar.

Perhaps the most recognizable photograph of P-22 was the one captured by National Geographic’s Steve Winter, who snapped the striking cat passing in front of the Hollywood sign in the hills at night. (See header image.)

The Wallis Annenberg crossing will be opened on Dec. 2, ushering in a new era for wildlife in California.

Aerial view of a highway interchange with multiple lanes, surrounded by grass and trees, showing vehicles traveling in both directions. — A rendering of the complete Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing showing what it will look like when it’s complete. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Study: Physical proximity to your cat is associated with positive vibes

On the heels of research that found a link between having cats in the home and happiness, a brand new study finds positive mood benefits associated with being physically close to our feline overlords.

In this study, researchers visited cats and their humans in their homes rather than in a laboratory setting. They observed the cat-human interactions, how much time they spend in close proximity, and took urine samples to measure hormonal changes in the humans. Feline proximity was also tracked and logged via small Bluetooth collar attachments.

“I think many cat owners are familiar with the sense of comfort and peace they feel when their cat climbs onto their lap seeking affection, they start to pet it, and the cat begins purring contentedly,” study co-author Saho Takagi said. “Our findings suggest that this feeling may be partly reflected in the hormonal connection between cats and their owners, particularly through oxytocin, a hormone involved in the formation of parent-child bonds and social relationships.”

Since Bud seems to be attached to me by an invisible tether and spends hours each day in direct physical contact – napping in my lap, resting a paw on a leg or arm, sleeping while burrowed up snugly against my side – this study is affirmation of the calming effect the little dude has.

A gray cat peacefully sleeping on a cozy plaid blanket. — Bud sleeping on my legs on a cold day when I was wrapped up in a blanket. He doesn’t like being underneath the blanket, but he likes to sleep between my knees.

PITB will be operating out of a hotel this week

Or for several days at least. Contractors will be here working on the bathroom and kitchen, and apparently the work is going to put the bathroom out of commission for at least two nights, not the one night as I’d hoped. (Thanks to those who offered suggestions for staying in a hotel with a cat!)

I’ll still be around and hopefully will stick to a regular posting schedule – every other day, or more frequently if there are newsy cat stories that fall within this blog’s remit – but Photoshop is a real Pain In The Bud when using a laptop, I’ve found, so the Budster and I will be reliant entirely on Pexels, Wikimedia Commons (fair use) and that sort of thing. Hopefully Bud lets me work, ’cause I’m not supposed to leave him alone in the hotel room for longer than a few minutes at a time.

Big Buddy has been downgraded

…to The Slightly Larger Buddy. This momentous change is prompted by Little Buddy’s certainty that his growth spurt is imminent and he’s about to blossom into the fierce tiger he’s always known he’ll be.

When that happens, the gulf in Buddy height and weight will be significantly reduced, rendering me Slightly Larger.

Close-up of a tiger's face with distinctive orange and black stripes, looking intently at a plant in the foreground. — Buddy of the future after he has his growth/orange spurt. Credit: Joel Simeon/Pexels

Which is fine by me, but what of Little Buddy? Will he be Moderately Sized Buddy? Super Buddy? Buddy In A Transitional State? The latter sounds vaguely culture war-ish, as if Fox News is about to run a story any moment now about the girls Buddy has replaced on the track and field and swimming teams, which of course would be preposterous. He’s too lazy to run and too terrified by water to swim. I could, however, envision him as an accomplished deadlifter. Those huge meowscles would be put to excellent use!

UK Man ‘Bowed Down’ To Tiger While Livestreaming Own Death: Police

The visitor’s strange behavior and the crowd’s panicked screams began to override the tiger’s initial confused curiosity, prompting his predatory instincts to kick in.

A British man killed this weekend by a zoo tiger was mentally “vulnerable” and behaved bizarrely before and during his grisly encounter, police and witnesses said.

William Chapman, described in media reports as “in his early 20s,” was seen laughing and dancing before he hopped the barriers separating guests at Yorkshire Wildlife Park from its Land of the Tigers exhibit.

Chapman suffered from “significant mental illness,” his family wrote in a statement.

In audio captured a few minutes before Chapman’s 1:30 pm death on Oct. 10, the late Briton handed his smartphone to another visitor and asked the woman to take photos of him with the tiger in the background.

“Thank you, lady,” he’s heard saying on the recording before he climbed the barriers in front of horrified guests and dropped into the enclosure housing Altai, an Amur tiger who just turned five years old about two weeks ago.

A close-up of a tiger resting on the grass, showcasing its distinctive orange and black stripes, with a focused gaze. — Altai. Credit: Yorkshire Wildlife Park

The encounter took an even stranger turn from there as Chapman, who was live-streaming to Instagram, seemed to welcome Altai. The curious big cat hopped down from a wooden platform where he’d been soaking up the sun and padded unhurriedly toward Chapman, who spread his arms theatrically.

“It looked like a performance,” bystander Anthony Hunt said. “He got down where everyone could see him in the main viewing area. He was on all fours, praying and bowing down to the tiger. It was like he was waiting for the tiger.”

Still images show Altai standing in a confused, non-aggressive posture, with telltale “helicopter ears” indicating curiosity and hesitation about how to respond.

Chapman’s behavior didn’t fit Altai’s cognitive script.

The tiger’s hardwired instincts told him incursions from other members of his species are threats. His experiences in captivity told him humans are caretakers who show up at predictable times as part of a daily routine to feed him, repair his enclosure or introduce enrichment items. This was something entirely new.

A person kneels on grass while interacting with a large tiger in a natural setting. — A still from footage recorded by a witness to Saturday afternoon’s fatal encounter.

While I’ve learned my lesson when it comes to watching video of things I can’t unsee and have no desire to watch footage of a man’s life ending in a violent mauling, I did watch short clips of the preceding moments. They were compiled from recordings by bystanders and Chapman’s own feed.

The moment the situation changed was unambiguous, and you can see exactly when Altai became overstimulated and his predatory drive kicked in: Chapman dropped to all fours, reducing his physical profile until he resembled prey, and the panicked screams from the crowd of onlookers pushed Altai into overstimulation and hypervigilance.

He knew the encounter had taken a turn, and that’s when he took his first few exploratory swipes, still pulling his punches as he tried to figure out what was happening.

Chapman responded by assuming a defensive posture, raising a finger to the big cat while shouting “No! No!” and chiding him for being “naughty.” To the tiger, Chapman confirmed he was prey.

At the same time the screams from above grew louder. Altai’s predatory instincts were fully engaged, and according to reports that’s when he mauled Chapman and delivered a kill bite to the UK man’s neck.

A young man with short hair and earbuds stands in front of a panoramic landscape featuring rolling hills and lush greenery. — Chapman’s family said he was taking “strong medication” to help manage mental health issues.

Zookeepers who rushed to the scene fired warning shots, sending Altai scurrying for the safety of his den. A medical airlift helicopter arrived a few minutes later, but by then it was too late. Chapman had bled out and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities erected screens to conceal the carnage as staff closed the zoo. Footage of guests leaving showed bystanders in shock, discussing what they’d just witnessed as they shuffled through the exit.

One woman, a mother who tried to stop Chapman from leaping, was particularly disturbed. She did not speak to reporters.

Chapman “looked like he was taking selfies” after dropping into the habitat, 21-year-old Scarlet Hogan told The Telegraph.

“Up until he got attacked, it was like he was in a trance, not in reality at all,” Hogan said.

“He had arms wide open ready for the tiger to attack him. It was quite bad. We were just stood there, frozen… the last thing we saw was the tiger’s jaw on his neck.”

Altai pictured in promotional material for the park.

Chapman, who had traveled from nearby Doncaster to the zoo, was an actor who had roles in productions by the BBC and ITV.

“The man who I saw on the bridge with his AirPods in, dancing, was happily enjoying seeing the tiger,” witness Marie Miller said.

Park staff said Altai, whose subspecies is critically endangered, will not be euthanized, and witnesses who spoke to the BBC said staff promptly took control and shut the park down.

Neither the zoo nor the tiger were at fault, said the University of Reading’s Campbell Murn, a former member of the UK government’s Zoo Experts Committee.

“I view it in the same way a determined thief will get into somebody’s house or somebody’s car,” Murn said, “and despite the best security systems and enclosures sometimes these things happen.”

A New Species Of Cat Has Been Identified For The First Time In A Century

With its kitten-like features and striking rosettes, the Tilcayo tiger cat managed to evade scientists thanks in part to its remote range.

Say hello to Leopardus tilcayo, also known as the Tilcayo tiger cat.

The small, slender feline is the first new species of cat discovered in 103 years following the Uruguayan pampas cat in 1923. Found in Bolivia’s Yungas forest, also known as the cloud forest for its high elevation and lush vegetation, the Tilcayo tiger cat is smaller than domestic felines, weighing in at about six pounds on average.

A woman inside a wildlife enclosure gazes at a small, spotted cat perched on a platform, surrounded by greenery and a chain-link fence. — Paola Nogales Ascarrunz, a scientist and National Geographic explorer, co-authored the study that announced the discovery of Leopardus tilcayo. Her team used genetic analysis to confirm the Tilcayo tiger cat is a separate species. Credit: National Geographic

Although it’s part of the genus leopardus and it’s colloquially known as a tiger cat, its coat pattern features rosettes that more closely resemble those of jaguars with the latter felid’s broken patterns and spots inside the rosettes. By contrast, leopard rosettes do not have randomly placed spots.

A comparison of jaguar and leopard fur patterns, showing distinct differences in the shape and arrangement of spots. The top section labeled 'Jaguar' features interspersed rosettes and spots, while the bottom section labeled 'Leopard' displays more solid rosettes.

The new feline is closely related to the other “tiger cats” of the Americas, including the ocelot, oncilla, kodkod, pampas cat and margay.

Notably, it is not a subspecies split from another cat, but an entirely new species to scientists. DNA tests confirmed its status as a separate species. It eluded discovery for so long in part because of its remote location in forests at high elevation.

Paola Nogales Ascarrunz, co-author of the study in the journal Current Biology, said a discovery like this is extremely unusual. The discovery of Leopardus tilcayo was formally announced to the world on Thursday when the paper was published. The same paper noted a new subspecies of tiger cat, the Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo, but the Tilcayo tiger cat is the big news.

“This time, it’s a cat. That’s really novel. And it hasn’t happened in 100 years,” Ascarrunz said. “No one else had named it. No one else had described it.”

The first time Ascarrunz saw the Tilcayo tiger cat while volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Bolivia, she “thought it was a kitten,” she said.

A small, spotted wildcat perched on a branch surrounded by green foliage. — Credit: National Geographic

Biologists are still learning about the Tilcayo tiger cat. They’ve only closely examined two members of the species and have camera trail footage of several others. They don’t yet have an estimate of how many individuals live in the Yungas forest.

Unfortunately, study co-author Tadeu de Oliveira noted, all of South America’s tiger cats “are in habitats that are vanishing fast.”

Diagram illustrating the analysis of 38 genomes from Leopardus spp. including museum and modern samples, highlighting bioinformatic methods, phylogenetic relationships, and geographic distribution. — Maps show the current habitats of tiger cats in South America. Leopardus tilcayo’s range can be seen in the darker blue sections of the map on the right. Credit: Current Biology

Eduardo Eizirik, an evolutionary biologist at Brazil’s Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, said the new discovery emphasizes the importance of preserving the Earth’s remaining wild places as humanity encroaches from every angle.

“Showing the general public that even in a flagship group such as cats … there are still new species to be discovered may transmit an important message,” Eizirik said. “There are many undiscovered species out there in the world, and they are at risk of disappearing before we even discover them.”

Poacher Trampled By Elephants While Trying To Shoot Rhino, South African Parks Officials Say

“Elephants are extremely intelligent and, as people say, they never forget,” a parks spokesman said.

A poacher looking to kill a rhinoceros for its horn was trampled by elephants, whose fury was so great that they reduced him to “a very large bloodstain around the clothing he was in,” South African parks officials said.

Two men illegally entered Kruger National Park on Sept. 11 and walked six kilometers into the Pafuri area, a section on the far north end of the park that features diverse wildlife between two major water sources, the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers.

The men were tracking rhinos and were carrying high-powered rifles and an axe, SANParks spokesman JP Louw said. They did not realize that a herd of elephants was moving parallel to the rhinos toward the same water source, and when one of the poachers raised his rifle to line up a shot, the infuriated elephants charged him.

The surviving poacher ran in another direction. When he made it home and reported his partner was missing, he told police he heard the man screaming. He’s been arrested and faces charges of attempted poaching and illegally entering the park.

Rangers found the tracks left by the men and followed them to the site where the elephants charged. They had trampled the poacher so thoroughly that there was little left besides his pulped body and the remains of his clothes, authorities said.

A group of elephants walking towards the camera near a water source in a dry landscape. — Credit: Wayne Lubbe/Pexels

Rangers also found a dead buffalo, which they believe the men killed before their fatal encounter with the elephants.

Rhinoceros horns can fetch about $13,500 from middlemen in South Africa, who then smuggle them into China where they can command as much as 20 times that amount. The demand comes from the traditional Chinese “medicine” market, where animal parts like horns and big cat bones are used in folk elixirs. People believe the elixirs can grant a range of supernatural powers, from immortality to restored “chi energy,” and some elixirs are sold as remedies for everything from common colds to viruses, gastrointestinal issues and baldness.

Traditional Chinese “medicine” is based on concepts invented in deep antiquity and targets a system of “meridians,” pathways said to exist in the body that practitioners claim are the conduits for chi energy.

Chi energy and meridians are both inventions of the human imagination, but what is real is the impact on animals. Poaching has had dramatic impacts on animals like elephants, rhinos, tigers, leopards, lions and pangolins. More recently, because authorities in Africa and India have gone to greater lengths to protect their surviving wild animal populations, Chinese poachers have turned their efforts toward South America and the Amazon jungle. In recent years jaguar poaching has skyrocketed to fulfill demand from China.

In a dramatic example from October of 2025, fishermen in Brazil rescued a severely wounded jaguar who had been shot by poachers and had made a desperate escape into the Amazon river. The fisherman found the wounded big cat bleeding and barely clinging to a piece of debris.

That jaguar’s story had a happy ending: veterinarians were able to save him despite 30 lead fragments embedded in his head and neck among other injuries, and he was released back into the wild after he recovered. Sadly, most jaguars who are targeted by poachers do not survive.

Instances of poachers killed by elephants aren’t novel either. In another incident in Kruger National Park, a poacher was trampled by an elephant, then eaten by a pride of lions.

“Elephants are extremely intelligent and, as people say, they never forget,” Louw said. The elephants knew what a man raising a rifle means “and may well have witnessed poachers before sneaking up on rhinos and went to protect them.”

Wordless Wednesday: 300 Humpback Whales Meet For Incredible ‘Supergathering’

On the verge of extinction in the 1980s because of commercial whaling, humpbacks have rallied and are now spotted in increasingly larger gatherings.

Back in the 80s, whaling had brought whale species to the brink of extinction.

A gobal outcry prompted action to save Earth’s largest animals, resulting in the 1986 global ban on commercial whaling by the International Whaling Commission.

While some species continue to struggle, humpbacks are among the species that have come roaring back. Thanks to South African photographer Chris Fallows, we’ve got a prime view of a “supergathering” of some 300 humpbacks who met off the west coast of South Africa:

Fallows called it a “Manhattan skyline” of whale breath plumes, and said it’s clear evidence the species has benefited from the ban.

Humpback whales can grow up to 60 feet long and weigh up to 40 metric tons. They’re known for their long, haunting conversations in whalesong, with “phrases” that can last as long as 30 minutes. Despite their massive size, humpbacks are filter feeders who subsist on small fish, krill and plankton.