A camera trap recorded an Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita) in Malargüe, Mendoza, less than 10 km from La Payunia Protected Natural Area. The sighting confirms the elusive cat is present at that location; by itself, it does not show that the population is growing or prove that conservation measures caused the animal to be there.
What is the “ghost of the Andes”?
The “ghost of the Andes” is a nickname for the Andean cat, Leopardus jacobita, a wild cat native to the Andes. It is solitary and difficult to observe, so camera traps and reports from people who live and work in its range can help document where it occurs.
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Where was the Andean cat filmed?
Wildlife Conservation Society Argentina (WCS Argentina) reported on May 12, 2026, that camera traps recorded one Andean cat in Malargüe department, Mendoza province, less than 10 km from the boundary of La Payunia Protected Natural Area. WCS described it as the third consecutive year it had documented an individual in the department, following records in Mendoza in 2024 and 2025. The organization also lists a record in Neuquén in 2023. WCS Argentina’s report
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How rare is the Andean cat?
WCS Argentina estimated in its 2026 report that fewer than 2,200 Andean cats remain across the continent, spanning the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. This is the organization’s estimate, not a population count produced by the camera-trap record near La Payunia.
Do camera traps prove conservation is working?
No single camera-trap image can establish that a population has increased or that a particular conservation program caused a sighting. The record is evidence that an Andean cat was present at one place and time. WCS’s sequence of yearly records in Malargüe provides a reason to continue monitoring, but it is not a census or a trend measurement.
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The wider conservation effort is more than camera trapping. WCS describes two decades of distribution work involving monitoring, local reports and engagement with livestock producers. The record is consistent with the value of sustained monitoring and coexistence work, but the organization’s May 2026 account does not present a controlled analysis showing that those efforts caused the sighting.
How can farmers protect livestock without killing wild cats?
WCS Argentina says it has accompanied 90 livestock producers using nonlethal deterrents intended to reduce losses while avoiding the killing of native carnivores. The approaches it names are:
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- Improved corrals: livestock can be kept in better-protected enclosures.
- Livestock-protection dogs: dogs can help deter predators from animals in their care.
- Night lights: lighting can discourage predators from approaching livestock areas.
In its 2026 report, WCS says 84% of producers adopting alternative methods reduced predation losses, while 89% stopped hunting carnivores and scavenging birds. These are outcomes reported by WCS for the producers it describes, not results from a controlled causal study in that release.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What threats do Andean cats face?
WCS identifies several pressures on the species and its habitat:
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- Retaliatory killing by livestock producers seeking to prevent further losses.
- Road collisions.
- Reduced availability of the chinchillón, which WCS identifies as the cat’s principal prey.
- Habitat degradation associated with hydrocarbon and mineral extraction.
- Climate-change impacts.
Because the cat’s movements and habitat extend beyond protected-area boundaries, monitoring and coexistence work also depend on coordination with people and institutions outside protected land. WCS describes collaboration with local governments, communities, producers, private groups, and conservation and research organizations.
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