Integrating Conservation and Community Engagement in Free-Roaming Cat Management: A Case Study from a Natura 2000 Protected Area.

Abstract

La Graciosa, a Natura 2000 site in the Canary Islands, faces substantial conservation challenges, including a large free-roaming cat population that threatens the island's native biodiversity. In July 2024, a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) campaign achieved an 81.4% sterilization rate within urban areas, highlighting TNR's short-term effectiveness in reducing reproductive potential and, consequently, mitigating predation pressures primarily through the prevention of new litters and reduced reproductive activity in cats. The campaign's success relied heavily on the active involvement of the local community, who assisted with identifying, trapping, and monitoring free-roaming cats, thereby facilitating a high sterilization rate. However, administrative restrictions hindered access to peri-urban zones, leaving essential population clusters unsterilized and limiting the campaign's overall scope. Additionally, strong opposition from conservation groups, amplified by extensive media coverage, halted the project prematurely, reducing the effective sterilization rate to 69.3% within three months. Population Viability Analysis (PVA) suggests that achieving high sterilization rates could lead to population reduction over time; however, the inability to access all population segments and to reach the ideal 93-95% sterilization threshold limits TNR's potential as a long-term standalone solution. Our findings underscore the need for adaptive, context-specific management frameworks in ecologically sensitive areas that integrate TNR with complementary measures, consider regulatory barriers, and value community involvement. This case study provides crucial insights for policymakers and conservationists seeking to balance biodiversity conservation with humane management practices in protected areas.