Free-Ranging Cat Predation on Wildlife in East Asia: A Scoping Review of Ecological Evidence and Knowledge Gaps.
- 1Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304, USA.
- 2Berkwood Research Institute, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA.
Abstract
Free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) interact with wildlife through predation and other ecological pathways, yet evidence of their associated effects has not been comprehensively synthesized in East Asia. This scoping review mapped empirical evidence on free-ranging cat predation and associated ecological effects in East Asia, characterized its geographic distribution and inferential strength, and identified knowledge gaps. Five databases, including region-specific databases, were searched through June 2026, and reference lists of included full-text sources were hand-searched. Of 9326 records identified, 31 sources met the inclusion criteria: 28 from the pre-specified East Asian region and 3 global or multinational sources with independently extractable East Asia-specific data. Diet- and carcass-based studies documented consumption of diverse wildlife taxa, whereas fewer evaluated prey abundance or other population-level outcomes. Reported predation estimates varied substantially among studies, reflecting differences in cat category, ecological setting, and methodology. Evidence was concentrated in Japan, with the clearest conservation concerns reported from Japanese island ecosystems involving endemic or IUCN-listed threatened species. Human-mediated factors and management practices were recurrent contextual themes; however, direct evidence linking these factors to wildlife outcomes was limited. Overall, the evidence base was geographically and methodologically uneven, underscoring the need for standardization, broader regional coverage, and improved documentation.
Related
- Bridging Local Ecological Knowledge and Remote Sensing for Wildlife Assessment and Conservation: Insights from Sebitoli, Kibale National Park, Uganda
- Predation of Toxorhynchites splendens on Aedes larvae under laboratory conditions and insights into its ecological role as a regulator
- Human-wildlife conflict shows shared spatial predictors across ecological and geographic contexts
- Wildlife depredation stabilizes ecological-economic systems and can lead to improved economic outcomes
- Advancing Marine Mammal Conservation Through Omics Tools and Integration of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge
BibTeX
@article{zhou2026freeranging,
title = {{Free-Ranging Cat Predation on Wildlife in East Asia: A Scoping Review of Ecological Evidence and Knowledge Gaps.}},
author = {Michelle Zhibing Zhou and Christian S Wright},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ani16203321},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42939252},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Free-Ranging Cat Predation on Wildlife in East Asia: A Scoping Review of Ecological Evidence and Knowledge Gaps.
AU - Michelle Zhibing Zhou
AU - Christian S Wright
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
DO - 10.3390/ani16203321
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42939252
AB - Free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) interact with wildlife through predation and other ecological pathways, yet evidence of their associated effects has not been comprehensively synthesized in East Asia. This scoping review mapped empirical evidence on free-ranging cat predation and associated ecological effects in East Asia, characterized its geographic distribution and inferential strength, and identified knowledge gaps. Five databases, including region-specific databases, were searched through June 2026, and reference lists of included full-text sources were hand-searched. Of 9326 records identified, 31 sources met the inclusion criteria: 28 from the pre-specified East Asian region and 3 global or multinational sources with independently extractable East Asia-specific data. Diet- and carcass-based studies documented consumption of diverse wildlife taxa, whereas fewer evaluated prey abundance or other population-level outcomes. Reported predation estimates varied substantially among studies, reflecting differences in cat category, ecological setting, and methodology. Evidence was concentrated in Japan, with the clearest conservation concerns reported from Japanese island ecosystems involving endemic or IUCN-listed threatened species. Human-mediated factors and management practices were recurrent contextual themes; however, direct evidence linking these factors to wildlife outcomes was limited. Overall, the evidence base was geographically and methodologically uneven, underscoring the need for standardization, broader regional coverage, and improved documentation.
SN - 2076-2615
ER -