Renewed Urgency to Preserve Jaguar Corridor in Mesoamerica
September 22, 2017
As lead author of a Panthera study published last week in the Journal of Applied Ecology, I can confirm that jaguars are using habitat along a 2000-kilometer stretch of habitat from Belize to Panama, indicating that habitat connectivity within Central America is still intact. While this is certainly an encouraging finding, there are areas of conservation concern that could spell trouble for...
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McDonald’s Rival in the Animal Kingdom? Pumas.
September 21, 2017
We just published our latest research in the international science journal Biological Conservation, and it highlights the incredible diversity of wildlife that feed upon puma kills. In fact, the number of animal species that we recorded feeding at puma kills in Wyoming was higher than any other scavenger study to date from around the world. This means pumas are especially important to...
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Sand cat kittens spotted in the wild for first time
September 20, 2017
Then, it happened. Three pairs of eyes gleamed back at Alexander through the darkness about 4 kilometers from our campsite.
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Slow Conservation and Slow Journalism Converge in the Pamirs of Central Asia
September 20, 2017
Journalist Paul Salopek chooses to slow down to grasp the complexities of the world and its people. Panthera slows down because that’s the nature of conservation if done right: It takes time to develop trust and build relationships.
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Securing Snow Leopards in Changtang
September 18, 2017
How WCS and Panthera scientists trekked the Tibetan Plateau to track snow leopards, ultimately collecting some adorable footage of a family playing hide-and-seek.
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The Snow Leopard’s Shift from “Endangered” to “Vulnerable”: Explained
September 14, 2017
Today, the snow leopard was delivered a piece of good news: The most respected international nature conservation body re-assessed it from the category of “Endangered” to “Vulnerable.” But many scientists are urging extreme caution, warning that these iconic symbols of Asia’s great mountain wilderness still face numerous threats. Panthera sat down with Dr. Tom McCarthy, Executive Director of...
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How to Photograph a Snow Leopard
September 12, 2017
There had only been two moments in my photographic career when I knew that I had gotten a great picture—this was my third. I threw my arms up, danced around like a kid, and let out a lung-bursting scream in pure jubilation.
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Video: Following the Fate of a Jaguar Family in Belize
September 11, 2017
As hurricane season rips through the U.S. again, I worry about what the elements will do across the Central American Caribbean range of jaguars. I’m reminded of the devastating effects of last year’s Hurricane Earl, which razed trees and trails housing jaguars in Belize’s Cockscomb Basin.
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Tracking the Mysterious Cat of the Mountains
September 5, 2017
“They spoke of a mysterious cat of the mountains. But I never saw one,” an old Dahawndum hunter said, answering questions posed by colleagues and me after a 17-day trek through the jungles of Myanmar—part of our 45-day expedition to find snow leopards.
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Costa Rica Pledges to Keep Jaguars Safe
August 31, 2017
Last month, cat-lovers in Costa Rica had something to celebrate on National Wild Cat Day: the government’s decision to renew its commitment to preserving jaguars and other wild cats.
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“Moved to Tears”: Making of a Lion Film
August 25, 2017
Panthera sat down with Andrea Heydlauff, CMO of African Parks and the writer and director of “Why the Lion Calls,” a short film about a young Kenyan boy who wants to grow up to become a Lion Guardian. Produced by Panthera, Nick Hall Productions, and Lion Guardians (an NGO based in Kenya), the film was named a finalist this month in the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival competition, widely...
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Be a Wildlife Tourist--It Could Save Jaguars
August 24, 2017
In the first-ever study providing market values for a jaguar population, Panthera and partners found that annual revenues from jaguar-watching tour packages could bring in over $6 million more than the financial damages suffered by ranchers when the apex predator makes a meal out of cattle.
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How to Save Jaguars at San Lucas
August 21, 2017
Right now in Colombia, Panthera’s single biggest conservation priority is ensuring that our partner, the Colombian government, designates San Lucas—a key region of jaguar territory—as a national park. Making this designation here will not only protect the incredible biodiversity of the region, but also provide clean water in a place where many of the waterways have already been highly degraded...
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A Lone Lion Prepares to Leave Home
August 10, 2017
Soon, in a rite of passage, Sintika's mother and aunts will oust him from home. He’ll be tasked with surviving away from the adults he’s depended on, locating a suitable territory, and taking over his own pride—a sure-fire way to spread his genes and contribute to a healthy future for his species.
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Surprises in the Serengeti
August 7, 2017
It turns out Nosikitok, the lioness sighted last month nursing a leopard cub, lived up to her name in a way we had not thought possible. In the language of the Maasai people, “Nosikitok” means “mother’s milk.”
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A Rugged Adventure in Search of Snow Leopards
August 4, 2017
In late June, our team completed an incredible journey: the first ever snow leopard survey in Myanmar. In fact, it was the first survey of any type for the high elevation ranges of this northernmost point of the country.
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Tiger Cubs Spark Hope in Nepal
July 28, 2017
I knew tigers were making an impressive comeback in Nepal’s Parsa Wildlife Reserve the past few years, but nothing could have prepared me for what showed up on our camera traps recently. I’m thrilled to share this amazing video—and its back story—with the Panthera community today, a day ahead of Global Tiger Day.
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The Miracle of Muli
July 18, 2017
Last month, I was privileged to join a team of wildlife veterinarians and biologists to prepare for the release of a tiger who spent 20 months recovering from a wound inflicted when she was a cub. I was tasked with fitting her with a satellite GPS collar to track her movements.
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How to Save the Bobcat—and Benefit Its Human Neighbors
July 14, 2017
The results of a study written by Panthera Puma Program Lead Scientist Mark Elbroch, Ph.D., in collaboration with the educational organization Wyoming Untrapped indicated that bobcats are worth more alive than dead.
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An Incredible First for Lions and Leopards
July 13, 2017
This week, the first-ever photos of a wild lioness nursing a leopard cub were captured in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Learn how this unlikely pair found one another and why this case of cross-species nursing is so unusual.
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How an Ecosystem—and Its Tigers—Bounced Back in India
July 10, 2017
When I began my visit to Manas National Park—one of India’s most magnificent and potentially important landscapes for tigers—six years ago, it was against a backdrop of violent civil unrest.
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Remembering Cecil Amid New Threats to Lions
July 1, 2017
Two years ago today, a magnificent black-maned lion named Cecil died after a hunter illegally shot him for sport in Zimbabwe. The tragic incident reverberated around the world, sparking an outcry that set in motion a global discussion about lion conservation.
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What Happened to Angola’s 1,000 Lions?
June 15, 2017
Lions are languishing in Angola, a country still reeling and recovering from a devastating three-decades-long civil war that ended in 2002. The aftermath has further devastated the species, which was already experiencing catastrophic declines continent-wide. But new findings from Panthera have inspired a plan to restore lions and replenish populations of other large animals in the area, too....
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Hope in the Face of the Extinction Crisis
June 12, 2017
Nature’s extraordinary resilience fills me with hope. I learned this during my first hands-on experience with big cats 25 years ago as a doctoral student in South Africa. As the country emerged from its apartheid-era isolation, I started a project to reintroduce cheetahs and lions to areas of their historic range.
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What's Decimating Tigers--And How to Bring Them Back
May 30, 2017
Recently, our Communications staff sat down with Dr. John Goodrich, the Senior Director of Panthera’s Tiger Program and one of the world’s premier experts on tigers, to discuss the biggest threats facing the endangered species today. Read on to find out why it’s in our best interest to protect this majestic wild cat.
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Dogs Snuff Out
Illegal Wildlife Trade
May 25, 2017
The fall of 2014 was a difficult time for wildlife conservation—but an unpleasant discovery created an opportunity to tackle cross-border illegal trafficking in Central Asia in an innovative way.
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Beyond the Last Village (Again)
May 10, 2017
The question “where are snow leopards found, and why?” has brought me and my colleagues to the northernmost point of the country of Myanmar to search for snow leopards.
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World's First Mega-fauna Conservation Rankings
May 4, 2017
A new study from Panthera and Oxford University's WildCRU found that affluent countries in the developed world commit less to the conservation of large mammals than poorer nation states.
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Catch a Tiger by the Nose
May 2, 2017
Looking for tigers? Follow your nose... in a way you might not expect.
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Where There’s a Bear, There’s a Big Cat
April 24, 2017
When a PhD student supported by Panthera, Snow Leopard Trust, and Shan Shui, set up a camera trap in the mountains outside China’s Zhaxilawu monastery, he hoped to catch a glimpse of a snow leopard—he was not expecting to capture footage of three snow leopards together.
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Marching for (Big Cat) Science
April 21, 2017
On the eve of the first ever March for Science, Dr. Mark Elbroch reflects on who and what he's marching for: the right to ask question, the future his children and students will inherit and, of course, mountain lions.
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The Cheetah's Collision Course
April 11, 2017
One of the best parts of living in Zambia's Kafue National Park—and sharing it with the cheetahs we are working to protect—is that we get to watch devoted cheetah mums successfully raise their cubs to adulthood. One of the worst parts is knowing that some cheetah cubs won't make it.
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Tiger Cubs: A Sign of Hope in Thailand
March 28, 2017
The groundbreaking discovery of Indchinese tiger cubs in Thailand means this modest population in the Eastern Forest Complex is the second known breeding population of this subspecies in the world. Find out how this population could be a game changer for one of the world's most endangered big cats.
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The Secrets of Wild Cheetahs
March 22, 2017
Scaling up our cheetah conservation efforts is critical—but in order to do so, we have to find out how cheetahs move across large landscapes... so that's just what we're doing.
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The Scars & Stripes of Thailand’s Wild Tigers
March 7, 2017
Though tigers are remarkably resilient, their future is incredibly precarious—in Thailand alone, some estimate that fewer than 200 individuals remain.
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A Little Saliva Goes a Long Way
February 24, 2017
Genetic monitoring techniques are rapidly evolving and provide us valuable information about connectivity, genetic health, diseases and ecology.
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Bullying the Jaguar—To Save It
February 23, 2017
Follow our team in Colombia as they use San Martinero cattle—a unique breed that is known to defend itself against jaguars—and saving jaguar lives in the process.
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Asia’s Last Cheetahs
February 23, 2017
Genetically distinct and isolated from its African counterparts for at least 32,000 years, the Asiatic cheetah once roamed from the Red Sea coast to eastern India. Today, the entire global population of the Asiatic cheetah—a vanishingly few 50 animals—lives in central Iran.
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A Ray of Hope for Lions
February 21, 2017
Could Africa's vast network of protected areas be the key to saving its lions? A new study led by Panthera suggests the continent's protected parks and reserves are capable of supporting three to four times as many wild lions.
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Last Puma Capture in Wyoming
February 16, 2017
As Panthera’s Teton Cougar Project begins to wind down, the team heads back into the mountains for one last capture to remove the GPS collar from F47, a cougar who has provided incredible insight into her species.
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Top Ten Blog Posts of 2016
February 15, 2017
Have you ever thought to yourself “What could possibly be the top ten stories about wild cats on Panthera’s blog last year?” We did.
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A Walk to Save Leopards
February 9, 2017
Follow our Furs for Life Leopard Project team as they join members of the Shembe church on their annual pilgrimage—and see for themselves how faux leopard skin is saving real leopards.
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The Guardians of
Hwange's Lions
February 8, 2017
Lions in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park face multiple threats to their survival… but the guardians are doing their best to protect them.
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One Habitat,
Two Big Cat Species
January 31, 2017
The first known footage of a common leopard and a snow leopard in the same location in China introduces some interesting—and potentially concerning—questions about the future of snow leopards in a changing climate.
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Tracking the Black Panthers of Malaysia
January 26, 2017
Bagheera is a black panther who serves as friend, protector and mentor to Mowgli, the feral child protagonist of The Jungle Book. Does this black cat of dark rainforests exist outside Kipling’s tale?
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A Day in the Life in the South African Bush
January 19, 2017
Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to work in the field in Africa?
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The Dangerous Prey of Pumas
January 18, 2017
What prompts a mountain lion to take a risk and attack dangerous prey—like the North American porcupine? Our scientists investigate.
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Ranching Hearts and Minds for Jaguar Conservation Part II
January 3, 2017
Fazenda Jofre Velho is a jaguar research base in the Brazilian Pantanal where Panthera is demonstrating how jaguar conservation can benefit ranchers, promote ecotourism, and help local people.
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A Lioness Survivor
December 30, 2016
Known as the "silent killer", wire snares used for bushmeat poaching rob big cats of their lives and limbs. We call the survivors tripod lions—and they're the lucky ones.
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Wild Cheetahs Forever
December 26, 2016
A new study shows that the cheetah—the world’s fastest land animal—could soon be lost forever unless urgent conservation actions are taken across the cheetah's range.
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Snow Leopard Rescue in Tajikistan
December 24, 2016
While many people in the U.S. celebrated Thanksgiving, an intense conflict between a livestock owner and a snow leopard played out on the other side of the world.
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Ranching Hearts and Minds to Save Jaguars: Part One
December 13, 2016
When we talk about wild cat conservation, we can’t forget the local people that live alongside these animals and enjoy—or suffer—the consequences. On more than 50 farms and ranches in Colombia, Costa Rica, Belize and Brazil, Panthera's Jaguar Program is helping people and jaguars coexist.
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Introducing M2
November 21, 2016
Photographer Sebastian Kennerknecht recalls his second trip to Kyrgyzstan with Panthera's Snow Leopard Team—and what it was like to get so get up close and personal with M2, the second male snow leopard our team has collared in the country.
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Watch Out Poachers
November 10, 2016
The PoacherCam has very much arrived! In preparation for a series of camera trap deployments in Africa and Asia, members of Panthera’s Tiger Team recently came together in south England’s countryside for one last field trial.
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How We Met M1
October 28, 2016
Snow leopards are called "ghost cats" for a reason. After months of preparation, our team in Kyrgyzstan finally fitted a GPS collar to one of these elusive and fascinating big cats.
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Jaguar Connectivity: It All Comes Down to Poop
October 26, 2016
Jaguar poop might be the key to protecting jaguars.
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The Passing of a Titan
October 25, 2016
In the six years that Panthera's Teton Cougar Project followed F109, she helped us discover a great deal about her species. Though she recently died—of natural causes—we will continue to learn from her for years to come.
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Field Hacks: Pizza on the Go
October 25, 2016
When our scientists are in the field, they have to get creative about food. This recipe for "field pizza" is a simple and delicious way to satiate a pizza craving—no matter where you are!
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I STAND FOR Wild Places
October 24, 2016
Wild places matter. They matter to all life (including humans- keep reading!) but they matter especially to big carnivores. Lions, tigers, polar bears, grizzlies and wolves require wilderness to survive.
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Celebrating the Cats of China on International Snow Leopard Day
October 23, 2016
In honor of International Snow Leopard Day, celebrated on Sunday, October 23, we thought we’d share a remarkable series of images with our supporters of the cats of China (and some other stunning wildlife) caught on camera near Namsei Village.
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One Snow Leopard's Journey
October 21, 2016
In honor of International Snow Leopard Day on October 23, I wanted to share the story of one snow leopard in particular, Shirin, and her incredible journey.
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CITES and the Cheetah Trade
October 18, 2016
Last week was a good week for cheetahs. At the CITES meeting, measures to protect wild cheetahs from illegal commercial trade were strengthened.
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What Climate Change Means for Snow Leopards
October 9, 2016
As the issue of climate change becomes more and more important, our scientists wondered: how will the changing climate affect the remote and rugged landscapes where snow leopards live?
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Stopping Leopard Poaching with Science
October 7, 2016
If you've watched crime television, you've probably heard the word "forensics" many times. Find out how we're using forensics to find hotspots for leopard poaching.
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CITES: Lions Are Better Protected, But Loopholes Mean Threats Remain
October 6, 2016
The news for lions out of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, is mixed. President and Chief Conservation Officer Dr. Luke Hunter breaks down what the outcomes mean for Africa's lions.
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A Day in the Life: Cougar Country
October 3, 2016
What's it like to be a Panthera scientist? Leigh West, a Winston Cobb Memorial Fellow, describes a typical day for the Teton Cougar Project, our team out in Wyoming.
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Life as a Scientist in Thailand
September 30, 2016
Find out what life is like in the field for Pap and Tor, two young conservation biologists from Thailand who work with the Zoological Society of London, with support from Panthera, in one of the last strongholds of wild tigers in Southeast Asia.
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Tibetan Plateau Community Camera Traps
September 28, 2016
Snow leopards live in some of the most remote places in the world. On the Tibetan Plateau, Panthera and its partners are keeping tabs on these elusive big cats with the help of local "citizen scientists."
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Searching for Tigers in Sumatra
September 23, 2016
The Sumatran rainforest is teeming with wildlife—and home to the largest population of tigers outside of India. Follow a Panthera biologist as he joins a law enforcement patrol in Sumatra’s Kerinci Seblat National Park, a hotspot for poaching.
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A Chance Jaguar Encounter
September 22, 2016
As our team in Belize assesses a hurricane's damage to Cockscomb Wildlife Basin—an important jaguar habitat—they have an expected encounter with a very special jaguar.
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A Snow Leopard Forum in China
September 21, 2016
China, the most important range state for snow leopards, just hosted its second annual Snow Leopard Forum. Find out how it went.
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The Travesty of Violence in Conservation
September 19, 2016
In response to recent reports that the murder of environmental activists around the world reached an all-time high in 2015, Panthera's CEO recounts some of his own brushes with death in the field—and why people are much scarier than wildlife.
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Animal Selfies as Research
August 28, 2016
Who's the real King of the Jungle? Learn how we're using camera traps (and animal selfies) to find out.
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From Tajikistan to Colorado
August 26, 2016
Thanks to the Trust for Mutual Understanding, Nuzar Oshurmamadov, a Tajik biologist and member of our Snow Leopard team, travelled to Denver, Colorado, to undergo specialized training.
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Hurricane Earl: The Aftermath
August 23, 2016
When Hurricane Earl slammed into Belize, it passed right over the Cockscomb Wildlife Basin—a crucial stronghold for jaguars. Would the mother and cubs our team spotted a week earlier survive?
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Can Roads Be Wildlife Friendly?
August 22, 2016
A recent incident of a jaguar being killed by a car on a highway in Costa Rica highlights an important question for our work: can roads be wildlife-friendly?
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¿Pueden las carreteras ser amigables con la vida silvestre?
August 21, 2016
Un incidente reciente de un jaguar ser matado por un coche en una autopista en Costa Rica pone de relieve una cuestión importante para nuestro trabajo: ¿pueden las carreteras ser amigables con la vida silvestre?
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Why Camera Trapping?
August 21, 2016
Find out why camera trapping is so important to our research and see some examples of the photos we gather (hint: they're not all cats). Then become a citizen scientist and help identify animals on our newly launched Camera CATalogue!
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How to Age a Lion
August 17, 2016
How can you tell how old a lion is? According to our research, six traits can be used to accurately estimate a lion's age.
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A New Home for Sylvester
August 16, 2016
After his most recent "escape" from Karoo National Park, Sylvester the lion is getting a fresh start—and the chance to start his own pride—in Addo Elephant National Park.
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The Range Collapse of the Indochinese Leopard
August 11, 2016
A new paper reveals some unexpected data: the Indochinese leopard, a unique subspecies, has disappeared from a massive 94% of its range in Southeast Asia.
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Tiger Immigration Fuels Parsa Increase and Hope
August 5, 2016
A recent camera trap survey of Nepal’s Parsa Wildlife Reserve yielded surprising results: in a mere three years, tiger numbers had increased significantly. Dr. Rob Pickles explores the successful collaboration behind this achievement—and shares the stories of two tigers in particular.
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Look at Pictures, Help Save Big Cats
August 4, 2016
What if you could help Panthera’s mission simply by looking at a picture and identifying the wild animal in it? Believe it or not, you can.
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Solitary is Not Asocial
August 1, 2016
Aside from lions and cheetahs, wild cats are generally considered solitary creatures. But research from Panthera's Teton Cougar Project shows that "solitary" is not the same thing as "asocial." In fact, the footage we've captured suggests that social interaction between pumas is crucial for their survival.
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The Crisis of Extinction
July 27, 2016
Scientists across the globe agree: the world's largest species of wildlife are facing an extinction crisis... and the only hope for these animals is swift and global conservation action.
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The Secret to Finding a Snow Leopard
July 21, 2016
Only the foolhardy arrive in snow leopard country with serious hopes of laying eyes on one of these famously elusive big cats. But sometimes those hopes are rewarded just when you least expect it.
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The Future for Jaguars: A New Fellowship in Brazil & Belize
July 15, 2016
With more than 30 people working in 9 countries alongside more than 50 government agencies and NGOs, the Jaguar Corridor Initiative has successfully identified and secured many priority sites for jaguar conservation. So what's next?
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Their Home, Too: The People & Jaguars of Costa Rica
July 8, 2016
Follow along as Roberto Salom Perez works with three ranchers in Costa Rica to protect their cattle--and the region's jaguars.
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What to Do If You Meet a Jaguar
July 6, 2016
What should you do if you encounter a jaguar in the wild? Find out from one of Panthera Costa Rica's field scientists.
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Will We Let Lions Live?
June 29, 2016
One year after the death of Cecil the lion, few people realize Africa's lions are in a race against extinction. Find out how Panthera and its partners are teaming up to #LetLionsLive--and what you can do to help.
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Field Hacks: First Aid in the Field
June 28, 2016
Field work can be dangerous, and it's crucial our teams are prepared. A recent training session with the Tulsi Foundation allowed our Tiger Team’s Monitoring and Security Operations field staff to learn how to handle a medical emergency in even the most remote areas of the world.
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The Social Science of Saving Snow Leopards
June 27, 2016
Want to learn more about the rare and endangered snow leopard? For the first time, nearly everything we know today about this fascinating big cat is in one place.
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Meet Ben the Jaguar
June 22, 2016
Our team in Belize first met (so to speak) Ben in 2011, when our camera traps captured him in the Cocksomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Since then, he's been an invaluable source of data about how jaguars live in the wild.
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The Truth Behind the Tiger Temple
June 20, 2016
The Tiger Temple, a popular tourist destination in Thailand, is facing allegations of illegal wildlife trafficking. Panthera CEO Dr. Alan Rabinowitz discusses why this unfortunate news is not a surprise—and why tigers are so often the target of this ruthless industry.
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What Does It Take To Skin a Cat?
June 17, 2016
Get the inside scoop from Colwyn Thomas, one of the filmmakers of To Skin a Cat, a documentary following our efforts to use faux fur to save real leopards.
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A Surprise at 2,200 Meters
June 15, 2016
The Merendón Mountains on the border of Honduras and Guatemala are a critical link in the jaguar corridor--but for years, there was no evidence of any jaguars. Could the genetic integrity of the species be in peril?
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Walking With Lions
June 9, 2016
Does wildlife tourism help or hinder conservation efforts? Though many people who participate in wildlife tourism believe they are aiding conservation, the reverse is often true.
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Introducing Field Hacks
June 1, 2016
If you thought field work was full of cuddling big cats, think again. Read our first installment of Field Work Hacks, a series of posts from our scientists about some of the valuable tools and tricks they use in the field, to see what kind of animals our scientists actually get close to. Hint: these bloodsuckers gross some people out, so be forewarned!
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How to Collar a Snow Leopard
May 19, 2016
Ever wondered what it takes to collar a big cat--and why we do it? Join scientist Shannon Kachel in the field as he and his team collar a female snow leopard in Kyrgyzstan's Tien Shan Mountains.
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Hope for Colombia's Jaguars
May 12, 2016
Can jaguars and people coexist? Conflict and habitat loss are major threats to jaguars, but a groundbreaking new study shows that it is possible for jaguars to survive alongside livestock, agriculture, and development.
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