Panthera’s 2022 Annual Report celebrates the connection that humans share with wild cats and the critical role that communities play in their conservation. Revered for their power, beauty and grace, wild cats are part of the culture and history of many Indigenous peoples and local communities worldwide. Many of the communities who live alongside these species have long felt a bond and sense of responsibility for their survival.
Inside the report, you’ll find the latest stories from the field about your favorite species — tigers, lions, jaguars, fishing cats, sand cats and more. Over nearly two decades, we’ve grown to understand that the best way to protect wild cats is to work collaboratively with communities. Together, we can strengthen our collective cat connection to create impactful, sustainable change.
Read PantherA’s 2022 Annual ReportHere’s a sneak peek into the stories of our incredible scientists who made leaps and bounds for wild cats last year.
Dr. Kris Everatt
Canada Country Manager
Everatt’s research focuses on the intersection of humans and wildlife and he enjoys learning from the communities that live alongside lions. In close collaboration with Senegal’s Directorate of National Parks, the Panthera team, which consists of predominantly local staff, has spearheaded a campaign highlighting the importance of Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park, a refuge for Critically Endangered lions.
Species focus: lions, cheetahs, leopards
Dr. Abishek Harihar
Tiger Program Director
Harihar was promoted to Tiger Program Director in 2022 and is furthering our efforts to increase tiger numbers at key sites by at least 50 percent over a 10-year period. He helps direct initiatives to monitor tiger and prey populations, train anti-poaching patrols to secure protected areas and connect and protect tiger habitat.
Species focus: Tigers
Beathres Petrus
Community Engagement Officer
Petrus spends up to seven days in the field at a time, navigating Borneo’s dense forests and challenging terrain on foot. In 2022, she helped bolster our close partnerships with the Dusun and Sungai Indigenous peoples, who conduct community patrols that have been integral in protecting the island’s small cat species.
Species focus: Sunda clouded leopards, marbled cats, leopard cats, Bornean bay cats and flat-headed cats
Caitlin Kupar
Olympic Cougar Project Coordinator
Kupar helps run our Olympic Cougar Project, which obtains spatial data from pumas fitted with GPS collars that will aid in deciding where to build a wildlife crossing on the I-5 highway. In partnership with six tribal nations, Panthera fitted more than 40 pumas with GPS collars in 2022 alone.
Species focus: Pumas
Dr. Roberto Salom Pérez
Costa Rica & Mesoamerica Director
Salom Pérez oversees six comprehensive projects that protect Mesoamerica’s six wild cat species. One, the Wild Cat Conflict Response unit, works directly with local farmers and communities to implement tools that proactively prevent livestock predation, including light-emitting livestock collars, low-voltage electric fences and maternity paddocks — and boasts a 100 percent success rate.
Species focus: Jaguars, pumas, ocelots, margays, jaguarundis, oncillas
Raíssa Sepulvida
Field Technician
Sepulvida spent 2022 collaborating with renowned veterinarian Dr. Joares May Jr. and Brazil’s National Virus Surveillance Network in Wild Animals (PREVIR) to survey potential parasites and viruses in both ocelots and their prey around Panthera’s Jofre Velho Conservation Ranch. The project will help scientists monitor viruses that could jump between species.
Species focus: Ocelots
“Recognizing the profound cat connection, our dedicated team of scientists strives to understand the threats facing wild cats from multiple perspectives. Whether grappling with habitat fragmentation, human-cat conflicts, poaching or a myriad of other pressing issues, we first develop a robust understanding of the issues before formulating the most impactful solution.”
Fred Launay, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
In 2022, Panthera engaged in numerous global environmental policy fora, advocating for the protection and recovery of wild cats and their landscapes to help tackle the intertwined crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.
74% of the most important terrestrial natural places overlap with wild cat habitats. In a Washington Post op-ed published on the eve of the Global Biodiversity Conference, John Goodrich, Ph.D., Panthera’s Chief Scientist, highlighted the importance of protecting and recovering wild cats and their landscapes when addressing biodiversity loss and climate change.
30% of the earth’s land and sea to be conserved by 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Panthera applauded the adoption of the GBF by the world’s governments as a major step forward in addressing the biodiversity crisis by protecting, restoring and recovering critical habitat, halting extinctions and empowering Indigenous People and Local Communities.
37 decisions on Asian and African big cats were adopted by the Parties to CITES at COP19. The Decisions direct Parties to take action to stop the illegal trade in big cat parts, hold facilities housing and breeding Asian big cats accountable and, in the case of cheetahs, strengthen legislation to curb illegal trade in live animals.
40 artist-designed jaguar statues prowled iconic locations throughout New York in the city’s first Jaguar Parade. Panthera brought together leading partners and sponsors to launch the eye-catching art exhibition, which raised awareness of and funds for jaguar conservation.
Six priority landscapes for lions, jaguars and snow leopards are slated for protection under the first phase of the Living with Big Cats Initiative, an directive co-designed by Panthera and WWF under a newly launched partnership.
2034 is the next Year of the Tiger. Panthera and tiger conservation practitioners from numerous organizations and disciplines joined forces to publish “Securing a Viable Future for the Tiger,” a document outlining an ambitious set of goals and objectives to build upon the progress made since 2010 to stabilize and increase tiger populations and ranges.
“In 2022, we bolstered a sensitive cooperation program with tribal leaders in Africa, strengthened a most consequential conservation alliance with Saudi Arabia and leveraged leopard prints to raise awareness about the existential threats facing the species through a collaboration with haute couture powerhouse Dolce & Gabbana. Across these activities — believed to encompass more leopard-related work than all other organizations combined — this unique convergence of the most rigorous scientific expertise and impactful partnerships has allowed us to truly move the needle and bring about tangible, long-lasting improvement in the elaborate arc of leopard conservation.”
Tom Kaplan, Ph.D.
Co-founder and former Executive Chair
Chair, The Global Alliance for Wild Cats
“NGOs usually find it challenging to work together in the same landscape. Yet, in the case of Kafue National Park, just the opposite occurred. Each organization brought unique skills, shared data through innovative technology and collaborated regularly — achieving results together that would not be possible alone.”
Jon Ayers
Board Chair
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