Panthera United States

Wild Cat Species

— Puma
— Bobcat
— Canadian lynx
— Ocelot

In the United States we study and protect our iconic big cat - the puma - as well as it’s smaller cousin, the bobcat. Previously, our field work was based in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in and around Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where, in collaboration with Craighead Beringia South, Panthera’s Teton Cougar Project focused on collecting comprehensive data about the behavior and ecology of pumas over a 17-year period, simultaneous with wolf recolonization. Using satellite-GPS collars, motion-triggered cameras, and other novel research methods, our scientists tracked puma movements, recorded new behaviors in the wild, identified dens, and monitored kittens from an early age. Our bobcat research currently focuses primarily on New York State, where we are initiating a long-term bobcat study in late 2021 and we have plans to mitigate human-cat conflict in California.

Washington: The Olympic Cougar Project

The Olympic Cougar Project represents an important and exciting partnership between Panthera and six indigenous tribes, led by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, to study and protect pumas in the dense coniferous forests, glacier-clad mountains and rugged coastlines of Washington’s stunning Olympic Peninsula. Pumas, also called cougars locally, have lower genetic diversity on the Peninsula than in other areas of the state. Together we are establishing additional partnerships to continue towards our goal of increasing connectivity and genetic viability of these big cats.

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California: Bay Area Carnivore-Livestock Interactions Project

The Bay Area Carnivore-Livestock Interactions Project is a Panthera-led collaborative partnership with CSU Fort Collins, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, UC Cooperative Extension, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, and others. Developed through extensive conversations with livestock producers in California’s Central Coast, this research and extension project is designed to find ways of reducing puma and coyote predation on livestock. The results from this effort will be used to design local livestock and wildlife management policies, and to develop effective tools for preventing livestock-carnivore conflict more broadly.

Montana: Applied Science

Panthera staff based in Missoula, Montana work alongside the University of Montana. As part of the Applied Science Program, our scientists use genetics, GIS and other cutting-edge technology to understand the intricacies of wild cat biology and ecology.

Panthera staff members Safely putting a Satellite GPS collar on a bobcat in Washington State
©Mark Elbroch/Panthera

Contact

General
info@panthera.org

Puma Program
Mark Elbroch, Ph.D., Director
melbroch@panthera.org

Small Cat Conservation Science
Wai-Ming Wong, Ph.D., Director
wwong@panthera.org

Applied Science
Hugh Robinson, Ph.D., Director
hrobinson@panthera.org

 

Panthera Headquarters
104 West 40th Street 
5th Floor 
New York, NY 10018 

Panthera Washington
504 E 8th Street, Suite C
Port Angeles, WA 98362

Panthera United States Blogs

Puma
©DAVE SHREFFLER
Searching for Cougars in Dangerous Snow
Puma
©OLYMPIC COUGAR PROJECT/PANTHERA
From Land to Sea: Tracking a Cougar on the Olympic Coast
Puma
©MARK ELBROCH/PANTHERA
Introducing the Olympic Cougar Project

Conservation Action Staff

Allison Devlin

Director, Jaguar Program

Andrew Stratton

Project Coordinator, OCP

Clara Jessup

Project Coordinator

Elsa Heath

Senior Field Technician, Olympic Cougar Project, Puma Program

Emily Carrollo

Cougar Research Coalition (CRC) Project Coordinator

Mark Elbroch, Ph.D.

Director, Panthera Puma Program

Matthew Mahan

Field Technician

Rana Bayrakcismith

Conservation Program Manager

Veronica Yovovich

Conservation Scientist

Wai-Ming Wong, Ph.D.

Director, Small Cat Program

Conservation Science Staff

Alexandra Varga

Director, Impact Assessment

Chris Cline

Director, Conservation Sensors

Hugh Robinson, Ph.D.

Director, Applied Science

Jamie Robertson

GIS Senior Coordinator

John Goodrich, Ph.D.

Chief Scientist

Karen Wood

Senior Director, Global Policy

Read Barbee

Conservation Analyst

Salisa Rabinowitz

Conservation Scientist, Applied Science

Sara Williams, Ph.D.

Deputy Director, Applied Science

Vanessa Castle

Cultural Conservation Science Coordinator, Olympic Cougar Project

Business Development Staff

Emil Garcia

Data Manager

Eric Ventura

Executive Director, Business Development

Jennie Chaiet

Director, Grant Operations

Kevin Peters

Coordinator, Prospect Researcher, Business Development

Maria Ferreira

Director, Individual Giving

Sage Solomine

Grants Manager — US

Victor Fucci

Data Entry Coordinator

Communications and Marketing Staff

Angela Ambrosini

Senior Director, Strategic Communications and Public Engagement

Susie Weller Sheppard

Director of Public Relations

Kasey Rahn

Senior Manager of Content and Marketing

Joseph Boccagno

Senior Manager, Digital Marketing and Web

Danielle Garbouchian

Senior Manager, Visual Design & Creative

Angelique Bey

Digital Content Creator

Finance Staff

Anthony Yuan

Staff Accountant

Hisham Fahim

Controller

Jennifer Hill

Senior Accountant

Kevin McNulty

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial and Operating Officer

Michelle Power

Accounts Payable Specialist

Misheel Davaatseren

Senior Accountant

Sergio Flores

Finance Director

Human Resources and Administration Staff

Ebony Irby

Senior Human Resources Manager

Mechelle Staunton

Payroll Manager and Benefits Administrator

Jake Elmets

Information Technology and Procurement Manager

Guli Basu

Director of Information Technology

Seshie Daniels

Human Resources Business Partner , US & Latin America

Legal Staff

Crystal Balcom

Paralegal

Emily Beverage

General Counsel