This year has been extraordinary for wild cat conservation. From cutting-edge technology to rare wildlife sightings and groundbreaking research, 2025 has shown both the challenges and hope in protecting endangered wild cats around the globe.
Here are 10 must-read blogs that showcase our work and the incredible stories we’ve captured this year.
This year, we captured a rare sight: an Endangered female chimpanzee using a stick to investigate a camera in a remote area of Batéké Plateau National Park, Gabon. Captured on January 27, 2025, by ANPN, Panthera and Gaboma Multimedia and Production, this video is the first-ever known footage and evidence of chimpanzees using tools from this region of Gabon.
By John Goodrich, Ph.D., Chief Scientist
Our work goes beyond saving individual species. We focus on preserving ecosystems, mitigating human–wildlife conflict, and ensuring habitats allow wild cats and people to coexist. This year, our science and collaborations continue to guide big cat conservation globally.
Panthera scientists, along with researchers from the Research Center of Technologies for Society at the Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile, designed a prototype of a new predation deterrent called Blinka+A. The electronic device uses flashing lights and loud sounds to scare off carnivores wandering too close to farm animals.
Introducing Panthera Tanzania! Through partnerships with the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) and local communities, Panthera is leading research, protection, and community-based conservation initiatives to secure critical ecosystems for both wildlife and people.
West African leopards are now officially Endangered. But, if we act now, we can bring these wild cats back from the brink.
Roads are major barriers for wild cat conservation. This blog explains how highways fragment habitats and threaten survival, and how we are creating wildlife corridors and science-based solutions to reduce mortality and support healthy populations.
By Nathan Roberts, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China & Abishek Harihar, PhD, Panthera Tiger Program Director
We know managing carbon is critical for mitigating climate change. But when we think about carbon, tigers might not be the first things to come to mind. These wild cats, though, play a bigger role in forest ecosystems — and the carbon cycle — than you might think!
For the first time in years, the “Ghost Elephant” of Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal has been captured on video. New remote camera footage captured by Panthera and Senegal’s National Parks Directorate (DPN) shows the "Ghost Elephant" — Ousmane, named after a park ranger — pausing in front of the camera as he moves through the park at night.
read about the "ghost elepahnt"
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.
Step into the world of wild cat romance. While many wild cats are solitary creatures, their coupling behaviors reveal intricate and surprising dynamics that are key to their survival.
At Panthera, 2025 has been a year of innovation, discovery, and progress. From conservation technology like Blinka+A to historic wildlife sightings and new research on endangered wild cats, our blogs capture the stories that inspire, educate, and drive action. We hope these 10 must-read blogs bring you closer to our mission: protecting wild cats and the ecosystems they call home.
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© Sebastian Kennerknecht
