Supporting small carnivore conservation
Red Panda © Tashi R. Ghale
Nominations for new co-chairs are open
Both current Co-Chairs for the specialist group are stepping down, and we are seeking two new Co-Chairs to lead the group through an important and exciting period of renewal. We are seeking candidates who together bring diverse backgrounds - geographic, professional, and cultural. Representation from the Global South is a clear priority for at least one of these positions.
We strongly encourage applications from candidates based in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Experience working in these regions, and networks within them, will be weighted heavily in the selection process. We are particularly interested in having a candidate from Madagascar; this is the group’s clear country priority based on the number of threatened small carnivore species that it has.
Further details on the role, and the opportunity it presents can be found here.
The application form is here. Please note this is an unpaid voluntary role, as is standard practice across the IUCN SSC and its specialist groups.
The Small Carnivore Specialist Group was formed in the 1980s and is one of the longest running groups within the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC)
Our group has over 90 members, whose expertise range from wildlife photography and mammal watching, through to small carnivore ecology.
What does the group do?
Major threats to small carnivores include the illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss. 74% of threatened small carnivores are in Asia and Africa.
We support small carnivore conservation by:
Collating and disseminating information and data relevant to small carnivore conservation
Providing technical advice on small carnivore conservation
Linking between field and captive programmes
Supporting early-career conservationists working in species-rich countries, particularly in the tropics
Our Priorities
Our priority species are all threatened with extinction and all require urgent conservation action. Small carnivores form a significant part of the illegal wildlife trade; another priority is the trade and use of small carnivores.
We support the conservation of:
red pandas
the Malagasy carnivores
mongooses
skunks and stink badgers
weasels, martens and badgers
civets and genets
linsangs
raccoons and coatis
We do not cover any species of cat, dog, or otter: these are covered by different specialist groups within the IUCN Species Survival Commission.
Madagascar’s Carnivores
European Mink
Owston’s Civet
Trade, use and zootonic disease
Our Members
Who is in the specialist group?
We have a diverse membership, recognising the range of people and professions that need to be involved if conservation is to work.
We welcome anyone that has an interest in small carnivore conservation and would like to become involved.
Membership applications are currently on hold whilst we finalise the process of replacing the outgoing co-chairs.
Our Civet Working Group
Collaborative transdisciplinary conservation.
Our Civet Working Group is dedicated to the conservation of viverrid species (civets, genets and oyans). Established in partnership with the Civet Project Foundation, the working group achieves its objectives collectively and through three thematic teams of Taxonomy & Red Listings, Mapping & Distribution, and Education for Human-Viverrid Coexistence.
