Margays
Discovered: 1821
Location: Central & South America
We have covered most of the predatory cats and certainly most of the Panthera family on Science Sensei in the past. Thus, we have covered the Margay species several times. It never gets easier to tell you that the creature is endangered. This is due to the fact that they have been part of the illegal wildlife trade for decades. They were hunted massively up until the 1990s, but due to the lower population, they are not killed off as often.
The struggle of this cat is that it is nocturnal and usually a loner. Without being in social packs, the margay is not going to mate as often. Especially if there is a lower population of male or female cats in a specific area. They are one of the most unique animals in the world due to their appearance. They look like small leopards but they are around the size of a modern house cat you see all the time domestically. However, they don’t just prey on birds but also on some monkeys and large lizards. Margays can easily take down something twice its size, which is pretty impressive for something so small.