Roadkill as the primary cause of death of the kodkod, pampas cat and puma in the biodiversity hotspot of central Chile

Central Chile is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, inhabited by four wild cat species: kodkod (Leopardus guigna), pampas cat (Leopardus colocola), Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita), and puma (Puma concolor). However, threats to these felids in this region remains poorly documented. This study investigates the primary causes of wild cat mortality in central Chile from 2012 to 2024, compiling mortality records categorized by species, political region, land use type, and year. Mortality events were gathered for three species, but we did not find any record for the Andean cat. Roadkill was the predominant cause of death, followed by dog attacks, drowning incidents, and hunting. Statistical analyses suggested significant associations among felid species and political regions, species and cause of death, and regions and cause of death. Our findings underscore the urgent need to mitigate human-induced threats, especially road collisions, and highlight critical knowledge gaps regarding the Andean cat. Future research should prioritize expanding data collection to inform targeted conservation strategies.