Furs for Life: 7 Million Strong  

From rituals to regalia, the use of carnivore skins and body parts for ceremonial gatherings, traditional medicine, and other cultural purposes is far more widespread than previously thought – evident in nearly 90 percent of African nations. That's according to the first Africa-wide study of its kind, published this spring in the scientific journal Plos One. This cultural use of carnivore skins is a key driver of poaching, impacting wildlife trade and affecting vulnerable animal populations across the continent.  
  
The study from Panthera, the University of Witwatersrand, and the University of Cape Town used data from more than 1,000 sources, including 555 YouTube videos, examining the use of skins, claws, organs, and other body parts of 33 carnivores like leopards, lions, servals and cheetahs for traditional attire, rituals and more in 48 of the continent’s 54 countries. 

Unique in its scale, scope, and breadth, the study aims to provide conservationists and policymakers with evidence to guide culturally sensitive interventions geared at protecting these species from poaching and illegal trafficking. The findings highlight how deep-rooted cultural practices are a key driver of poaching, impacting wildlife trade and affecting vulnerable animal populations across the continent. 

Luckily, successful interventions are in place to address the nexus of wildlife trafficking and cultural practices, including Furs for Life, an initiative to reduce poaching of wild leopards in southern Africa by promoting the use of synthetic Heritage Furs for use in ceremonial regalia.

Furs for Life

Panthera initiated the Furs for Life project in 2013, originally partnering with South Africa’s Nazareth Baptist Church eBuhleni, commonly known as the Shembe Church.  

The Shembe traditionally wear an authentic leopard skin cape called an amambatha along with smaller leopard skin garments in the Mgidi, a ceremony wherein men dance in a prayer. Working with the Shembe community and fashion industry experts, Panthera created Heritage Furs — high-quality, synthetic fur alternatives that retain the beauty and significance of authentic furs. The adoption of Heritage Furs allows these vibrant cultural and religious ceremonies to continue for many years into the future with the same beauty of authentic furs but without the threat to wildlife populations. 

A decade ago, Shembe followers used as many as 15,000 authentic leopard furs during religious gatherings, but now nearly 50 percent of garments worn during the Mgidi are Heritage Furs.  

The program has distributed more than 19,500 capes to the Shembe Church, preserving the Church’s traditions and rituals, while helping protect thousands of wild leopards. Some wild leopard populations have even stabilized or increased in the region.   

Heritage Furs are also created by Shembe tailors in South Africa, ensuring the community directly benefits from both employment opportunities and profits from Heritage Fur sales.  

Continuing to Grow  

Celebrating its 12-year anniversary in 2025, Furs for Life continues to grow with new partners joining the effort annually. This spring, we announced a new partnership with the 800,000-strong Ngoni Royal Establishment of eastern Zambia, bringing the reach of Furs for Life to over 7 million individuals.  

Heritage Furs have been endorsed by INyandeZulu Inkosi Yamakhosi King Mphezeni IV, King of the Ngoni people of the Eastern Province of Zambia and adorned by the King himself and the Amakhosi at February’s annual Ncwala ceremony in Chipata, the theme of which centered around the leopard. Watched by millions online and attended by tens of thousands, the Ncwala unites Ngoni People from Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique to celebrate their ancestry and the onset of the harvest season. Traditionally, male Ngoni royalty, leadership, warriors and dancers adorn themselves in skins of revered wildlife, with lion skin capes worn by the King, leopard skin capes for leadership, and serval, genet and other wild animal skins adorned by others. 

“Leopards, lions, servals, and other wild cats are central to our ancient traditions, but the danger of continuing to hunt them for their skins cannot be ignored. Our partnership with Panthera through Furs for Life will save big cats from our spears, allowing us to celebrate and protect these animals while sustainably continuing our celebrations for generations to come,” said Ncwala Ceremony Chairman Dumisani Tembo during the event.  

Panthera has now supplied the Ngoni Kingdom with some of the Heritage Fur capes and other garments worn by the Ngoni leadership. A number of these have since been given to the amakhosi or traditional leaders by the King. Additional Heritage Fur material will be delivered and tailored locally this year by Ngoni tailors, soon replacing the use of authentic wild cat skins at Ngoni gatherings. 

“The Ngoni People’s embrace of Heritage Furs is a tremendous step in further protecting Africa’s leopards, while rightly honoring their deep-rooted traditions. In replacing authentic skins with high-quality alternatives, we are all safeguarding both the future of wild cats and the cultural identity of millions,” said Panthera Furs for Life Project Coordinator Tristan Dickerson. “The continued success and growth of the Furs for Life program, now to the Ngoni and new partners on the horizon, is proof that conservation and culture can both thrive for the benefit of all.”