An Incredible Jaguar Sighting in Peru: Hope for Conexión Jaguar
February 4, 2020
Panthera Colombia is trailblazing a new model that uses carbon credits to fund the restoration and conservation of jaguar habitat in South America while supporting the landowners and communities that live there. In our latest foray into the Amazon, we captured the first record of a jaguar in a Conexión Jaguar site, giving us hope for the future of this groundbreaking program.
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Why Are Hwange’s Lions Killing Elephant Calves?
January 27, 2020
Hwange National Park supports about 500 lions, making it a crucial area for conserving these big cats. However, it’s also a haven for tens of thousands of elephants. How these species interact is a testament to the efforts of many, past and present, to protect the wildlife of southern Africa. But, no matter what we do, Mother Nature may always intercede.
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A Unique Partnership to Protect Pumas
January 16, 2020
Panthera’s Olympic Cougar Project represents an important partnership with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to study and protect pumas on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Pumas, also called cougars, in this region have lower genetic diversity than in other areas of the state. Together we are establishing other partnerships to continue towards our goal of increasing connectivity and genetic...
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Top 10 Blogs of 2019
January 7, 2020
To celebrate the new year, we've collected the ten most popular Field Notes blogs from 2019. From lions to snow leopards to small cats, enjoy some of the coolest scientific discoveries and personal encounters with the world's wild cats.
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Small Cat Spotlight: Jaguarundi
January 2, 2020
Despite its unique facial expressions and wide MesoAmerican range, the jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) may be one of the least-known of the small cat species to the general public. While they aren’t considered endangered, scientists don’t know nearly enough information about this species to adequately protect them in the face of decreasing habitat across Latin America. In...
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The Threat of Palm Oil Plantations to Jaguars
December 6, 2019
What happens to jaguars when oil palm plantations encroach into their habitat? Panthera scientists have co-authored a new paper studying the impacts of palm plantations on mammals in tropical regions. If the goal of the Jaguar Corridor is to provide connecting habitat for these big cats, we must understand this dynamic.
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Tigers Under Fire in Malaysia
December 6, 2019
Poaching gangs on the hunt for tiger body parts are emptying forests of these magnificent cats in Malaysia to feed a demand in Vietnam and China that shows no signs of slowing. Despite this dire situation, Malaysia has the potential to pull off one of the greatest recoveries in tiger range.
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Experts Answer Your Cheetah Questions
December 4, 2019
In honor of International Cheetah Day (December 4), Panthera’s team of wild cat experts has answered some of your most frequently asked questions about cheetah behavior and conservation. What makes these big cats so fast? What exactly is a King Cheetah? Find these answers and more.
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How to Find Jaguars in the Peruvian Amazon
November 25, 2019
This blog is the beginning of a new series on redefining the Jaguar Corridor in Peru and the threats facing the wild cats that live there. Our first forays into the Peruvian Amazon attempt to locate and study the immense variety of wildlife that make their homes here, focusing especially on jaguars. While it’s uncommon to spot a jaguar in the wild here, it turns out that we came pretty close...
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Lions and Cattle: How Competition Impacts Conservation
November 20, 2019
Can lions and cattle owners co-exist? Panthera’s Kristoffer Everatt has published a new study on the impacts of competition with humans on lion conservation after walking close to 4,000 km across three countries and five national parks in southern Africa. The study emphasizes the critical role that conflict with livestock owners plays in lion conservation efforts.
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Wire Snares: Africa’s Silent Killers
November 13, 2019
As a field researcher in Zambia, Anna is incredibly fortunate to see and work alongside an abundance of African wildlife. But through her work, she also witnesses the dangers that imperil these incredible animals. And one of the biggest threats facing wildlife like cheetahs and lions in Zambia’s Kafue National Park is the wire snare.
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Celebrating the Month of the Jaguar
October 29, 2019
This November we are coming together across Latin America to celebrate the Second Annual Mes Del Jaguar: Month of the Jaguar. We are raising our voices in unison to protect this iconic big cat species that is an integral part of our history, culture and ecology.
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Wild Cats 101: Black Cats and More on Melanism
October 22, 2019
It’s time for another Wild Cats 101 lesson! Panthera has written a few blogs on black cats before but this spooky season, we’re bringing you more information on melanism!
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Six Snow Leopard Blogs to Make You an Expert
October 15, 2019
In honor of International Snow Leopard Day on October 23, we've compiled some of our most popular blogs about the elusive feline known as the "mountain ghost." Read up on our work with snow leopards so you can be an expert in time for their special day.
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The Buffalo Lioness: A Relocation Success Story
October 15, 2019
The Buffalo Lioness was moved from Mangetti to Bwabwata National Park by a team from Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism because of her reputation for being a livestock killer. From there, she has gone on to provide us a successful example of how relocating lionesses can help grow prides. Read this story about a successful lion translocation that inspires us and acts as a precursor...
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Signs in the Sand: The Untraveled Roads of Luengue-Luiana
October 10, 2019
Our vision to assist the Angolan Government in turning Luengue–Luiana National Park into one of the largest national parks in Africa began in 2015 with a comprehensive survey of the park’s recovery potential following decades of civil war. Results suggested only 10 to 30 lions could be left in the park, highlighting the critical need for our reintroduction project. This blog explores a crucial...
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Increasing Our Eyes on the Wild: Introducing PoacherCam V7
October 8, 2019
Using new technology, we are fighting back against the increasing threat of illegal poaching to wild cats. The newest version of Panthera's Poachercam is V7: upgraded tech that will help us identify and stop poachers in real time.
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Small Cat Spotlight: Fishing Cat
September 30, 2019
The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is one of the rarest cats in South and Southeast Asia. Through Panthera’s Small Cat Action Fund (SCAF), we are facilitating an undertaking to study the fishing cat and their conservation concerns across their range. Known for their distinct bark-like sounds and affinity for aquatic environments, we’re learning more about this slinky...
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Postcard from Laguna Amarga
August 9, 2019
Southern Patagonia is so far south that it is often referred to as the “End of the World.” Together with Leona Amarga, Dania Goic and other local guides, we are creating safety protocols for puma tourism, estimating local puma abundance and expanding general knowledge of the region’s pumas.
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What Are Lions Without Prides?
August 8, 2019
In conjunction with Disney’s release of the live-action film The Lion King, we are pleased to introduce a new blog series delving into the lives of lions beyond the silver screen. Our first blog takes a closer look into a worrisome emerging social dynamic among lions: the disruption in normal pride structure and activity.
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Your Tiger Questions Answered by the Experts!
July 29, 2019
In honor of Global Tiger Day 2019 (July 29) we have put together a list of some of the questions asked by our supporters and their answers provided by some of our leading tiger experts.
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Blogs to Help You #ProtectThePride and Save Africa’s Lions
July 11, 2019
Panthera has been studying lions across Africa for years. Currently, we are working in 14 countries to protect vulnerable lion populations while partnering with local NGOs to increase tolerance for lions in rural communities. Brush up on your lion knowledge with this look back at our critical lion conservation efforts and how we are helping to #ProtectThePride.
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Disney’s Lion King Will Help Panthera #ProtectThePride
June 12, 2019
Ahead of the release of its highly anticipated live-action film, The Lion King, The Walt Disney Company has launched #ProtectThePride, a global campaign to help recover Africa’s embattled lion populations by supporting on-the-ground conservation efforts through the Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) and its partners, including Panthera.
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Wild Cats 101: Jaguars vs. Leopards
June 11, 2019
The first installment of our Wild Cats 101 blog series answers a common question: what’s the difference between a jaguar and a leopard? While these spotted big cats may look the same, they are actually quite different. Read more to learn all about the aquatic jaguar and the tree-climbing leopard.
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Back to Basics: Adapting to Life in the Bush
May 29, 2019
When she was awarded Panthera's Winston Cobb Fellowship to do field work in Africa alongside big cat experts, Gabrielle Gagnon had to learn how to adapt to a new lifestyle. For three months she spent her days in the field and nights in a tent, deep in the wilderness of Zambia's Kafue National Park. Read her story of overcoming her fears and learning to love the bush.
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Small Cat Spotlight: Flat-headed Cat
May 22, 2019
For our first entry into the brand-new blog series, Small Cat Spotlight, we’re bringing you one of the world’s rarest and most endangered cats: the flat-headed cat. This elusive feline, which earned its name from its flattened forehead, has rarely been observed in the wild and are considered Southeast Asia’s most threatened small felid. In partnership with local NGOs,...
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Jaguar Seeking Snack: A Pantanal Photo Essay
May 15, 2019
During Kate Vannelli’s visit to Panthera’s Fazenda Jofre Velho research ranch in the Brazilian Pantanal, she captured these stunning photographs. Arranged here as a photo essay, you can see through her eyes the beauty and magic of the Pantanal and the creatures who live there.
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A Once in a Lifetime Snow Leopard Sighting?
May 1, 2019
Rana Bayrakcismith has dedicated her career to studying snow leopards without actually seeing any in the wild. Read her story of a once in a lifetime opportunity to find, collar, and study one of these elusive "mountain ghosts" in person in Kyrgyzstan’s Sarychat Ertash Reserve.
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The Jaguar M.F. Flash: Part 2
April 26, 2019
In Brazil, we’re studying the jaguars of the Pantanal to improve co-existence between the region’s community and cats. There is one large male jaguar, who we call M.F. Flash, which frequently prowls around our ranch headquarters. Read Part 2 of Flash's story here.
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Sage Spending to Save Species
April 22, 2019
As we unite to celebrate the 49th Earth Day today, let us also unite to shift the conservation paradigm from intervention to prevention. If we can make the necessary investments to save species of "Least Concern" today, we’ll forego hiring armed guards to save the last of their kind in the future.
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Tokoloshe: the (Un)Snared Leopard
April 15, 2019
Do you remember Tokoloshe, the leopard caught on camera with a snare embedded in her abdomen? We’re happy to announce that recent camera trap images show her snare-free! Read this miraculous story of a leopard who fought the odds to survive, and thrive, in South Africa and learn more about the threat of snaring.
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Carbon Credits: the Newest Tool for Funding Jaguar Conservation
April 10, 2019
Thanks to a new partnership, Panthera Colombia has found a way to preserve jaguar habitat and reduce climate impacts. This win-win situation is a result of a new and exciting venture that’s opened up possibilities for funding jaguar conservation: using carbon credits to protect critical forest habitat.
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Could Puma Hunting Be Hurting Mule Deer?
April 1, 2019
For years, harvesting pumas has been used as a way to maintain robust mule deer populations for hunters to target. Now, a new Panthera study suggests that heavy hunting of pumas may actually have the opposite effect.
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10 Panthera Blogs by Female Scientists
March 8, 2019
In honor of International Women’s Day being celebrated today, we’re proud to highlight ten different blogs by ten different female scientists. Each of these esteemed women has worked with Panthera to study and save wild cat species around the globe.
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Searching for Snow Leopards
February 22, 2019
After a reasonably successful first venture to Ladakh, India in 2017 to look for snow leopards, I returned in March 2018 to spend a month in the mountains hoping to expand up on my modest portfolio of images. This time I was hoping for better luck to catching “mountain ghost” up close.
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Introducing the Jaguar M.F. Flash: Pt 1
February 11, 2019
Here at the Fazenda Jofre Velho property of Panthera Brasil in the northern Pantanal, we coexist with a high population of jaguars. Thanks to tourism and research, we’ve been able to identify and follow some interesting individual jaguars. There is one large male jaguar, who we call M.F. Flash, which frequently prowls around our ranch headquarters.
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Protecting Tigers on the Water
February 5, 2019
In Thailand, poachers are routinely using boats to smuggle firearms and illegal wildlife parts in and out the forest. Having a waterborne ranger team is vital to catching these poachers. Read more about Panthera's latest work training rangers how to operate on the water to catch poachers.
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Modelling the Ghost of the Mountain
January 30, 2019
With a nickname like “The Mountain Ghost”, it’s no wonder snow leopards can be difficult to track. Thanks to new research on the potential for snow leopard habitat in Ladakh, India, we can help these communities better co-exist with these elusive big cats.
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The Joy of a First Lion Sighting
January 28, 2019
Costa Sililo and Lucious Kakuwe have helped build over 100 bomas, or structures to keep lions and other carnivores from preying on livestock. Ironically, in their five years dedicated to reducing human-lion conflict, neither of the men has seen a lion alive in the wild. That was about to change.
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The Long Road to Luengue–Luiana
January 22, 2019
Luengue–Luinana National Park sits in southern Angola and is ready to showcase itself to those who find they have a chunk of Africa already embedded in their hearts.
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Corrals: From Conception to Construction
January 9, 2019
Panthera and the Snow Leopard Conservancy – India Trust (SLC-IT), a local grass-roots NGO and affiliate organization of Panthera, has had remarkable success in changing human attitudes and stemming retribution against snow leopards through a mix of conservation education, improving economic livelihoods, and reducing losses of livestock by building predator-proof corrals.
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Jaguars Without Borders
January 7, 2019
In our efforts to connect critical jaguar habitat, Panthera has facilitated a team-up between Honduras and Guatemala; the first binational project within the jaguar corridor.
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A Promise of Hope for a Tripod Lioness
December 13, 2018
In Kafue National Park, I made a promise to a three-legged lioness that I would work to remove dangerous snares like the one she fell victim to, from the landscape. We formed a coalition to tackle snares and other poaching threats to these predators.
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Nepal’s Communities Can Coexist with Fishing Cats
December 10, 2018
In Bodhban, Nepal, villagers and wild fishing cats both rely on the area’s fish-farming industry, and the occasional domestic chicken, to survive. It’s a situation primed for conflict, but researchers are testing practical incentives and education programs to promote better relations with the rare cats.
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Fab Four: Beetles, Big Cats, Bears and Biodiversity
December 5, 2018
We highlight the ecosystem engineering role of pumas for beetle communities. Here, we emphasized that pumas provide crucial carcass "habitat" for beetle species during important life history events.
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Introducing the Olympic Cougar Project
November 19, 2018
Panthera is proud to introduce the Olympic Cougar Project to protect puma populations in the Pacific Northwest!
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Hope for Habu
November 14, 2018
In Botswana, 16 brave men and women have been named Habu Community Scouts. They will protect wildlife from poaching while promoting ecotourism.
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Sand Cat Kittens: A Second Glimpse
November 5, 2018
Remember the sand cats who broke the internet last year? Well, they're back, with never-before-seen footage and details from the intrepid researchers who discovered them!
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Un deuxième aperçu des chatons des sables
November 5, 2018
Après avoir observé les chatons la première fois et avant de les quitter, nous avions installé plusieurs pièges photographiques autour du bosquet de végétation dans lequel ils se cachaient. De retour sur le site quelques heures plus tard pour récupérer notre matériel, nous avons été ravis de découvrir ces séquences supplémentaires que nous partageons avec vous aujourd’hui.
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Panthera's Small Cats Program
October 28, 2018
There are 40 recognized species of wild cats in the world, and while most people could name the 7 big cats, only few could name the 33 smaller ones. With the official launch of Panthera’s new Small Cats Program, we will seek to expand our understanding of these increasingly threatened species and how to protect them. Let's get started!
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What's that Smell?
October 26, 2018
To study elusive species like wild cats, we’re ready and willing to use all available sources of information in our quest to understand these animals – even poo. But finding feline feces can be as tricky as spotting the cats themselves. That's when we call Tigre, the Scat Detection Dog!
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Fish Genes, Captive Bears, and Wild Snow Leopards: A Pakistani Journey to Conservation
October 17, 2018
Safia's snow leopard research journey began in a very unlikely place: studying fish genes. Her passion for science and snow leopard conservation moved her research focus out from underwater and up into the mountains. She's pioneering DNA sequencing techniques to reveal secrets of the big cats' genetics.
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Land of Tigers and Rhinos
October 9, 2018
Tiger Program staff say anti-poaching work in Manas National Park isn't solely feline focused, but includes the occasional pachyderm too. Follow Eric out on "rhino control patrol" and learn why protections for tigers and rhinos complement each other.
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Predators Among Us: Protecting the Homes of Colombia’s Cats
October 5, 2018
To understand how jaguars and other cats use agricultural landscapes, such as cattle ranches and oil palm plantations, we withstood scorching temperatures, high humidity, and relentless mosquitoes to set up cameras and investigate.
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Triumph for Tigers
September 24, 2018
Tiger numbers are on the rise in Nepal. The Nepalese government has released results from its most recent national tiger population estimation survey that show the species is bouncing back in the country.
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The Most Incredible Camera Trap Leopard Photo Ever?
September 14, 2018
Dr. Guy Balme proclaimed this photo “the best leopard picture we’ve ever captured!” Our partner illustrates why this shot is so one-in-a-million and explains the background of this young leopard, who looks to be having a great day on the hunt.
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Home with Snow Leopards
September 10, 2018
A researcher immerses herself in Himalayan villages, under the looming specter of neighboring snow leopards, to discover the truth. Snow leopard ecotourism is changing attitudes among the Ladakhi locals in northern India, who share the landscape with the powerful predators at the risk of losing their livestock.
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Lions Have Manes; Leopards Have…Dewlaps?
September 4, 2018
What's the deal with dewlaps? The loose flaps of skin hanging underneath male leopards' necks help distinguish them from their female counterparts, but science still isn't quite decided on their true function. Here's what we know and what we hypothesize.
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Field Hacks: Repurposing Everyday Items
August 27, 2018
We surveyed Panthera team members to find out some of their tried-and-true gear hacks, asking them to share the inventive ways they've repurposed everyday items in the field. From poop-scooping utensils to cattle-corralling soda bottles, their responses didn't disappoint!
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Keep Puma Kittens Safe
August 16, 2018
Scores of puma kittens are orphaned annually, the leftovers of mothers killed outside the den—hunters not knowing they had dependent young. Newly published research from our Puma Program says delaying hunting seasons in the western USA until December 1 could save many young lives.
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A Thrilling Sight for World Lion Day
August 10, 2018
On the eve of World Lion Day, I just returned from a 48-hour safari adventure during which I observed an even more promising sign for Sintika’s future survival and success: a budding friendship.
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A Young Lion Helps Us Protect His Species
August 9, 2018
In April, Sintika, a lion we monitor, decided it was time to cast a wider net in his search for a territory. His satellite radio collar allowed us to follow his every move as he searched farther and farther from home, presenting us a prime opportunity to study the habitats through which lions disperse.
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A Cat Clouded in Mystery
August 3, 2018
The first-ever International Clouded Leopard Day is August 4, 2018, created to raise global awareness for the enigmatic species. This is sorely needed: Much of the information about the clouded leopard’s conservation status and needs—as well as the threats they face—remains shrouded in mystery.
Consider this your Clouded Leopard 101 class.
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How Red Foxes Benefit from Pumas
July 31, 2018
We found that puma kills were especially important to foxes during the winter months. In winter, foxes scavenged more kills, fed for longer, and more individuals fed on a given carcass at one time. What was even more interesting was that foxes were more likely to scavenge while the puma that had made the kill was still in the area. They were willing to risk it all for this valuable food source...
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Searching for the Mountain Ghost
July 30, 2018
On our way back to the village, we bumped into a couple of locals who had seen a snow leopard just the previous day and even had photos on their phones! Slightly disappointed that we’d missed a sighting, but with a full week of fieldwork ahead of us, we began surveying a new village hoping for better results.
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Kids Show Their Stripes for Tigers
July 27, 2018
9- and 11-year-old New York City boys raised hundreds of dollars for tiger conservation--because "tigers deserve better."
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This Tigress Needs a Dating App
July 26, 2018
Born in a wildlife sanctuary in Southeast Asia in late 2011, 197F was safe from many of the threats often faced by tigers in the wild until she and her brother, 205M, came of age and set out to claim their own territories. 197F traveled farther than her brother, settling in another protected area where no other tiger is in sight. We hope our work enables potential mates to reach her.
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Puma Conservation Begins with Puppets
July 26, 2018
The story of a schoolteacher's wildlife conservation project and all the puma-saving projects that sprang from it.
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Cheetah Game of Thrones
July 17, 2018
The Pilanesberg sisters’ genetics are valuable to the project, but their family history sounds as if it should be straight out of Game of Thrones. Their three older brothers from a preceding litter formed a coalition after they gained independence from their mother. These three now-mature males were a force to be reckoned with. In order to have the highest reproductive success and best access...
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Jaguars: Gods, Vermin, or Conservation Icons?
July 16, 2018
Through the ages, jaguars have been characters of cult, constantly represented in creation myths, and even demigods in the cosmogony of many Latin American lowland indigenous groups. Learn why--and how they're viewed today.
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Two Days with a Snow Leopard
July 15, 2018
When I finally reached the summit, I could not find the strength to lift my camera. But there she was, the queen of the mountain in all her beauty. I silently thanked her for honoring me with her presence. I gathered the strength to lift my camera and capture her soul.
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A Perfect Storm: How Multi-Jurisdictional Management Affects Pumas
June 25, 2018
Our newest research, just published in the scientific journal Ecology and Evolution, reveals what happened to pumas that crossed jurisdictional boundaries and felt the effects of multiple management strategies simultaneously. We found that a perfect storm of three overlapping management actions dating back to the mid-1990s have contributed, sometimes unintentionally, to the 48-percent...
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A Leopard Fights for Her Life
June 18, 2018
Researchers have watched Tokoloshe the leopard grow up in South Africa’s Soutpansberg Mountains. But recently, we discovered she was carrying a snare around her abdomen--not an uncommon sight for her species in the region.
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Nebraska's Pumas Need You
June 16, 2018
Fewer than 60 pumas make up Nebraska’s largest population of pumas, based in the Pine Ridge region. Despite this number, the state’s Game and Parks Commission has proposed a hunting quota that would allow the killing of 20 percent of the population’s adults and subadults—or up to eight cats, including four females. You can help block this decision.
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Helping Cat Conservationists Find Their Way
June 14, 2018
While Niokolo-Koba could potentially harbor up to 200 lions, given its size and ecological characteristics, very few lions survive in the park today. This spring, Panthera presented a new set of maps created in Montana for Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal to Commandant Amar Fall, the park’s head conservator. The maps have given the park's rangers an advantage over poachers, allowing them...
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A Jaguar Named Hope: Encountering Esperanza
June 8, 2018
I waited patiently as it got dark, camera in hand, the anticipation building with each passing moment. I briefly switched on my headlamp, shined my light in front of me where I suspected the cat would appear, fired a couple of test shots, then turned off the light and froze again. Finally, I saw a shadow moving slowly across the forest floor about 10 meters away from my tree. The creature...
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Snow Leopards' Newest Allies: Tajik Women
May 17, 2018
Locals are the ones who must benefit from the use of natural resources. These women are making history in the Pamir Mountains. The more men and women who are involved from communities, the higher the awareness and motivation to conserve snow leopards and other wildlife.
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A Leopard Navigates Motherhood
May 12, 2018
In addition to being a playmate, a mother leopard has to constantly be on the lookout, both for potential prey and for potential threats. It is truly a full time job, making sure her offpsring survive to adulthood and are equipped with the skills to be a successful leopard.
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Out of the Shadows, a Mighty Hunter
May 3, 2018
Lions? I can’t tell you how many times I have seen them, what they were doing, or where it was. But I remember each leopard sighting in detail.
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Snow Leopards, Wolves, and the Ecology of Fear on the Roof of the World
April 25, 2018
Although snow leopards spark the imagination as solitary sentinels of lofty, lonely mountains, the reality is that snow leopards—like all species—exist only within a rich tapestry of connections and relationships with their environment and the other species that inhabit it.
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The Importance of Field Work in Saving Cats
April 20, 2018
Field work matters for studying and protecting big cats--and we have the science to prove it.
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Tracking Cheetahs to Save Them
April 17, 2018
A conservation photographer follows a team of Panthera scientists as they trail a cheetah family to collar a female, who will help us monitor and protect the species.
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Otters Gang Up on a Jaguar
April 17, 2018
A jaguar sits on a tree branch near a giant otter den--and regrets it.
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A Cheetah Expert Tells All
April 10, 2018
A Panthera scientist reflects on the most fascinating characteristics of cheetahs: "They are truly charismatic, sleek, agile, and—of course—fast! But there is even more to admire. Cheetah mums use cunning and sheer, bold bravery to challenge much larger predators to defend their cubs..."
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A Virus That Strikes Domestic Dogs--and Wild Cats
April 5, 2018
This is the first case of CDV detected in a wild leopard, but it was detected in tigers in the area first in 2003. So the Amur leopard case rang familiar for me, as I had dealt with a few tigers infected with the disease when I led the Siberian Tiger Project for the Wildlife Conservation Society in Russia from 1995-2010.
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Giant Otters in the Water? Jaguars Think Twice.
April 3, 2018
The otter, realizing the two jaguar sisters were scared, was emboldened to protect one of his favorite tree trunks in this fish-productive water-stream. His group had their den nearby and used this trunk daily as a basking place and a nice feeding station.
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Protecting Jaguars Means Protecting Forests
March 21, 2018
The largest contributor to jaguar habitat loss is deforestation, and our recent research showed just how much forest has been lost and where. Alarmingly, the corridors used by jaguars to connect populations are most affected.
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The Tiger Behind a Winning Story
March 20, 2018
Earlier this month, Panthera ran a story competition for World Wildlife Day. My submission was chosen as a runner-up; the judges said it painted a picture in their minds of safari guests fawning over a tiger. It was inspired by an actual picture I took on a trip to India, where my group spotted a young tiger sauntering across the road, not a care in the world, with more than 30 jeeps of people...
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How Often Can Big Cats Be Black?
March 15, 2018
Two of Panthera's top geneticists tackle a question from one of our big cat advocates about the frequency of black leopards and black jaguars in the wild.
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How a Safari Company Helps Protect Leopards
March 14, 2018
Leopards’ legendary adaptability has fostered a belief that they are widespread both inside and outside of protected areas. As a result, the species has received little conservation attention—but loss of habitat and prey, coupled with high levels of illegal demand for skins, threaten the species’ existence. A safari company helps Panthera come up with comprehensive population data.
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Saving Snow Leopards and Benefitting Locals in Ladakh, India
March 9, 2018
The homestay program has been instrumental in changing people's attitudes toward the snow leopard. People who killed snow leopards 15 years ago in retaliation for preying on their livestock are now attracting the cats close to their villages. Today, they consider the snow leopard a tourism asset, an animal worth more alive than dead.
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"Vanishing Without Moving": A Snow Leopard Encounter
March 1, 2018
We were finally in position, and now all we had to do was spot F3. It sounded easy enough: finding a black-and-white cat in a snowless field of rocks and shrubs. It wasn’t.
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"It Was Just the Lion and Me."
February 16, 2018
A Panthera partner photographer describes capturing a striking closeup of a lion's face in Zambia. "I was sharing an extremely intimate moment with a 400-pound predator. My heart was racing..."
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What Are Black Panthers, Anyway?
February 16, 2018
Learn about what the word "panther" means, why some big cats are black, and why naming a Marvel superhero after them was a really good idea.
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My Journey to Find Snow Leopards and Other Elusive Species
February 12, 2018
One of the rarest mammalian species in the world, the snow leopard, gave a researcher an idea that could potentially revolutionize the way we monitor endangered species: creating a genetic field kit to identify species, populations, and individuals from the genetic clues they leave behind.
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The Last Leopards in Indochina: Unique Predators on the Brink of Extinction
February 9, 2018
A new study showed there is only one Indochinese leopard in eastern Cambodia per 100 square kilometers—one of the lowest densities ever reported in Asia. Alarmingly, the density declined 70% over five years, indicating extinction could be around the corner.
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Eastern Pumas: The Real Story
February 7, 2018
We’ve received a lot of worried messages and comments on social media about the recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife declaration that the “eastern puma” (or Puma concolor couguar) is extinct, and was therefore being removed from national endangered species protections. I think the wording of the federal ruling unintentionally—but unfortunately—influenced how the media covered the change in...
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Understanding the Beef Between Jaguars and Cows
January 31, 2018
Throughout the Americas, the conservation of large carnivores like jaguars and pumas is strongly impeded by their attacks on and consumption of domestic animals and livestock. When livestock is predated, cattlemen and farmers retaliate by trying to kill or poison the culprit feline—and, in many instances, killing all the carnivores in the area...
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How BBC Brought a Deadly (but Adorable) Cat to Millions of Screens
January 29, 2018
Footage of a black-footed cat named Gyra adeptly hunting a lark has been seen by more than 40 million people in just a couple of weeks. The scenes—from BBC’s new critically-acclaimed wildlife series Big Cats—show that Africa’s tiniest cat also has a kill rate of 60%, making it the deadliest on Earth. Dr. Alex Sliwa, one of the researchers who made the video possible, offers some more insights...
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Caught in the Middle: The Subordinate Puma—and What It Means for Hunters
January 23, 2018
Some animals dominate over others, meaning they consistently win when competing for food, space, or other resources...In a new paper just published in PeerJ, we found that pumas are often losers—and subordinate to at least one other apex carnivore in 47.5% of their 22,735,268 square kilometer range across North and South America.
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