Every year, on Endangered Species Day, we remember a painful reality. It’s an unfortunate truth: Many of the world’s most iconic species are endangered and facing extinction. from sumatran rhinos to blue whales, species everywhere are threatened with extinction. each year, we are reminded that we must commit ourselves to its protection.
The same affliction of danger faced by other iconic species also faces feral cats. One species of big cat, several species of small cats, and a variety of big cat subspecies are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), some even critically endangered. however, it is encouraging that panthera is working to recover many of these species and subspecies. recovery is a key word here, as we are not just trying to protect them, but to increase their numbers; success is when they are removed from the endangered list.
tigers are the most prominent endangered cat species, if not one of the most prominent endangered species, period. they face a variety of threats, including deforestation and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. panthera works throughout the tiger’s range, especially in Southeast Asia, where they are most threatened, to protect these majestic cats. the result: tiger populations have more than doubled in several of the places where we work, including in india’s manas national park. Our anti-poaching efforts in the remote and rugged rainforests of Malaysia’s Taman Negara National Park have been so successful that the government has asked us to help in other parts of the country.
No other big cats are listed as endangered, but there are several subspecies that are, as well as several geographically isolated subpopulations. one is the West African lion, a critically endangered subpopulation numbering fewer than 250 mature individuals in all of West Africa. We are working with the National Parks Directorate of Senegal in the Niokolo-Koba National Park to recover one of the three remaining populations in this vast region. since 2017, we have doubled the number of lions in the park by supporting ranger teams for large-scale patrols, helping to improve park infrastructure, and radio-collaring individual lions to identify and protect lion hotspots in the park. in this long-term project in senegal, we are working towards the full recovery of lions in this landscape, and when we are successful, the west african lion will no longer be critically endangered. with your continued support, we can make this dream possible.
There are several subspecies of leopard that are threatened with extinction, all except the African leopard and subspecies found on the Indian subcontinent. panthera works to conserve the critically endangered Arabian leopard in its arid native desert. panthera and the royal commission for alula (rcu) have entered into a historic partnership to recover their populations. Excitingly, on 28 September 2021, the Royal Commission for Alula announced the birth of a female Arabian leopard cub as part of its captive breeding programme, providing hope for the future of this big cat whose numbers are hovering the 200 in nature.
Not only are the big cats facing extinction, but a variety of small cats as well, including bay cats, flat-headed cats, and Andean cats. bay cats and flathead cats are threatened in borneo, malaysia, where the bay cat is endemic. panthera is working in partnership with relevant agencies and local communities to enhance site security and expand biological monitoring with the intent to conserve these species. We are also working to save Andean cats, which are the most endangered cats in the Americas due to habitat degradation and destruction and retaliatory killing by humans.
From some of the smallest cats to the largest cats, wild cats need our help to avoid extinction. on this day of endangered species, consider making a donation to panthera to protect these creatures that make this world a better place. You can help rangers protect lions in Senegal, teams in Malaysia monitor declining tiger numbers, and scientists in Borneo study flathead cats. but most importantly, you can spread awareness of the compromised status of these incredible endangered cats. we cannot let them share the same fate as the extinct cape lion or java tiger. With your help, we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure their survival.
