Mèo có là một phần của văn hóa, thần thoại, và môi trường của con người kể từ khi bắt đầu của lịch sử. Con hổ đã được quan trọng trong văn hóa và nghệ thuật của Đông Á lớn nền văn minh. Con sư tử đã được sử dụng như một biểu tượng của hoàng gia qua các thời đại. Báo đốm hình nổi bật trong nền văn minh tiền Columbus ở Mexico và Trung Mỹ, cũng như các núi con sư tử. Mèo được tôn kính ở Ai Cập cổ đại, nơi họ lần đầu tiên được thuần hóa cách đây khoảng. | Part II Mammals 2008 by Taylor Francis Group LLC 7 Conserving the Cats Cougar Management as a Model A Review Maurice G. Hornocker CONTENTS Why Cats Should be Conserved. 111 Problems Faced by Cats. 112 Problems of Cat Conservation. 112 How Cats Can be Conserved. 112 Cougar Conservation. 113 Theory and Management. 113 Historic Management Control. 114 Current Management Problems and Strategies . 114 Conservation and the Future. 117 Conclusion. 119 Acknowledgments. 119 References. 119 Cats have been part of the culture mythology and environment of human beings since the beginning of recorded history. The tiger has been important in the culture and art of the great East Asian civilizations. The lion has been used as a symbol of royalty throughout the ages. The jaguar figured prominently in pre-Columbian civilizations in Mexico and Central America as did the mountain lion. Cats were revered in ancient Egypt where they were first domesticated some 3600 years ago. At the same time most species of wild cats have declined drastically because of human activities direct killing and habitat destruction. Realistically it may not be possible to save some populations of cats they may simply be overwhelmed by human beings. However it behooves us to make every effort to reverse this decline in cats because of their cultural significance and because they play an important role in ecological balance. The big cats in particular are at the pinnacle of the food chain and because of the large areas they require can literally define an ecosystem. In 1987 the Cat Specialist Group Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources IUCN prepared a manifesto for IUCN s World Conservation Strategy. That statement is as timely today as it was then and portions of it are appropriate here. WHY CATS SHOULD BE CONSERVED The decline of a carnivore generally alters the ecological balance of its biological community. Cats are linked through predation
