Leopard

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!

At the University of Liège, Sarah Tossens is a graduate student of Dr. Marine Drouilly, a Panthera scientist who specializes in leopards. Learn more about her journey deep into the jungles of the Republic of the Congo to monitor the ecological roles of leopards and golden cats in this densely forested landscape.

Are we looking in the right spot? In the vast, arid landscape of Saudi Arabia, leopards have roamed for hundreds of years. Now, they are Critically Endangered, with fewer than 120 estimated to be left in the wild. The last one sighted in Saudi Arabia was found dead in 2014, poisoned by a local farmer. In 2020, Panthera began to support the work of The Royal Commission for AlUla who established the Arabian Leopard Initiative to locate and conserve any remaining leopards in the country. The first challenge was to find them.

In this blog, Panthera Tiger Program Director Dr. John Goodrich transports us to the snowy regions of northeast Asia — the home of wolves, bears, leopards and Siberian tigers. After stumbling upon a shocking tiger kill, he recounts how he began to understand the complex relationship between tigers and bears in this challenging environment. Navigate the snowy oak forests with Dr. Goodrich as he brings to light the important conservation implications of these interactions. 

2021 began with hope. We took inspiration from the highly adaptable wild cats whom we work tirelessly to protect, who seem to come back stronger after every challenge. Looking into the future, we wished for a better world, where the struggles of COVID-19 would slowly start to fade away. After a year of isolation, we saw a glimmer of the life we once knew. Unfortunately, however, 2021 brought its own difficulties. As the leader of a global organization, I myself had to adapt to best support our staff, and, of course, wild cats during this trying time.

February 14, 2022

Today is Valentine’s Day! On this romantic date, we’re showing our love for wild cats. And if you don’t have a special someone to spend the day with, we’ve got you covered. Check out these big cat dating profiles and see who you’re most compatible with. Love is in the air!

This is the second installment of my blog series highlighting the (mis)adventures of a field worker let loose in the vast expanse of Saudi Arabia. I hope you find these interesting or amusing and that they bring a smile to your face and foster, rekindle or further a love for the great outdoors and protecting the wildlife within it. 

Fieldwork in some sense sounds very romantic, and sometimes it is. Picture this: I was asked to fly to Saudi Arabia to help with a camera trapping survey for the critically endangered Arabian leopard. There are perhaps 200 of these leopards left in the wild scattered across Oman, Yemen and potentially Saudi Arabia. Panthera has been tasked with finding any leopards in Saudi Arabia so that these populations can be protected, as well as identifying sites of possible reintroduction.

A short history was written in the sand. Specifically, on a winding road that snaked through the wilderness of Djuma Private Game Reserve in the iconic Sabi Sand Wildtuin in South Africa. The chilly morning breeze colored our cheeks as we leaned eagerly over the side of the game viewer to peak at the signs of the night-time denizens; here, a nightjar had projected itself skywards in a flurry of dust to catch its insect prey. There, the tracks of passing antelope, some alone, some in groups and some with more heart-shaped hoof prints than others.