Panthera l e a d e r s i n w i l d c at c o n s e r vat i o n
Clockwise from left: Clouded
Leopard, Lion Guardians in Kenya, Field teams in Sumatra.
Š N. Garbutt (cover); C. Sperka, P. Briggs, S.Winter/Panthera, N. Midlane (opposite)
2: Mission
Panthera’s mission is to ensure the future of wild cats through scientific leadership and global conservation action. Panthera is the answer to saving wild cats. As the largest wild cat conservation organization in the world, we are the only group that maintains constant vigilance and razor sharp focus on eliminating the most critical threats to all wild felids. We save cats by mobilizing political support, leveraging resources, and demanding measurable results. Since Panthera’s inception in 2006, we have: •
Conducted over 155 wild cat conservation projects
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Carried out projects in 59 countries (out of 195 countries)
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Built partnerships with 11 organizations to leverage critical resources
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Provided scholarships to 58 students (MS and PhD) cultivating the next generation of cat experts and conservation leaders around the world
ÂŤ While Panthera leads, all doors are open for others to join, and help save cats. Âť
from left: Two
wild tigers; a snow leopard stares into a camera trap in the Himalayas. opposite: The
worlds largest wetland and home to one of the largest jaguar populations, the Brazilian Pantanal. Š A. Rouse, NCF/SLT, S.Winter/Panthera (opposite)
3: the gold standard
Our programs represent the gold standard in cat conservation. Panthera is the first organization in the world to implement range-wide conservation initiatives for tigers, lions, jaguars, and snow leopards. We have taken on the role of “venture catalyst” with programs that are nothing less than ground breaking.
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Panthera’s Jaguar Corridor Initiative, from Mexico to Argentina, is the largest model of carnivore conservation in the world.
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Our Living with Lions Program is poised to have the greatest impact on lion conservation in modern times.
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Tigers Forever is a focused effort on mitigating the most critical threats in key tiger landscapes, while measuring and monitoring outcomes of success. This “business plan for tigers” is the single most effective conservation protocol for saving the tigers in the world.
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Our range-wide Snow Leopard Initiative is unraveling the scientific mysteries of this little known big cat by collecting the largest and most important data set ever obtained on this species.
Top: Luke
Hunter, Tom Kaplan and Guy Balme with a radio collared jaguar in the Pantanal, Brazil. Rafael Hoogesteijn, Alan Rabinowitz and Fernando Tortato look at jaguar footprints in Brazil. Top right:
right: Joe
Smith (left) works with field staff on Tigers Forever in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Opposite: Hukaung
Valley Tiger Reserve
Š S.Winter/Panthera (3); S. Winter/National Geographic (opposite)
4: leadership
Panthera is made up of a world class team to save big cats and their habitats: Board of Directors:
Panthera’s leadership:
Species Directorship:
Thomas S. Kaplan, PhD, Chairman
Alan Rabinowitz, PhD, CEO
Alan Rabinowitz, PhD, CEO
Luke Hunter, PhD, President
Howard Quigley, PhD, ED, Jaguar Program
J. Michael Cline
George Schaller, PhD, VP
William Natbony
Andrea Heydlauff, MSc, VP
Matt Bostock Merritt Paulson David Hirschfield Claudia McMurray
Tom McCarthy, PhD, ED, Snow Leopard Program Guy Balme PhD, Director, Lion Program Joe Smith PhD, Director, Tiger Program Hugh Robinson PhD, Director, Landscape Analysis Lab
Luke Hunter, Fernando Tortato, Alan Rabinowitz and Howard Quigley with a radio collared, anesthetized jaguar, Brazil; George Schaller looking for snow leopards; Tom McCarthy training local conservationists. clockwise from Top:
Opposite:
Snow leopard.
Š S.Winter/Panthera, K. Schaller, S. Winter/National Geographic (bottom right and opposite)
5: The Cat Advisory Council
The Cat Advisory Council The Cat Advisory Council is chaired by Dr. George Schaller, and co-chaired by Dr. Alan Rabinowitz and Dr. Luke Hunter. It consists of the most prominent felid experts on the planet who together: • harness decades of knowledge and expertise, • function as an expert body to evaluate projects and proposals and, • assess the most urgent priorities and effective actions for cat conservation across the globe.
Members of the Cat Advisory Council: (Please see Appendix B for full bios) Christine Breitenmoser, PhD: Co-Chair of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group
Tom McCarthy, PhD: ED of Panthera’s Snow Leopard Program
Peter Crawshaw, PhD: Founder and Lead Carnivore Scientist of the National Predator Center, Brazil
Dale Miquelle, PhD: Director of the WCS Russia Program
Rafael Hoogesteijn, PhD, DVM: Panthera’s Jaguar-Cattle Conflict Coordinator
Howard Quigley, PhD: ED of Panthera’s Jaguar and Cougar Program
Urs Breitenmoser, PhD: Co-Chair of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group
Laurence Frank, PhD: Founder of Living with Lions; Research Associate at the University of Berkeley
Maurice Hornocker, PhD: Director of the Selway Institute; Founder of the Hornocker Wildlife Institute Ullas Karanth, PhD: Director of WCS India Program
David Macdonald, PhD: Director of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University
Laurie Marker, PhD: Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund
Gus Mills, PhD: Research Fellow with the Tony and Lisette Lewis Foundation
Craig Packer, PhD: Head of the Serengeti Lion Project; Professor at the University of Minnesota
John Seidensticker, PhD: Scientist and Head Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park Mel Sunquist, PhD: Program Director of the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station at the University of Florida, Gainesville
Clockwise from top left:
Jane Alexander, Conservation Council; David MacDonald, Cat Advisory Council; Glenn Close, Conservation Council; Dale Miquelle, Cat Advisory Council right: Jaguar Š S. Winter/Panthera (opposite)
in the Brazilian Pantanal
6: The Conservation Council
The Conservation Council Panthera’s Conservation Council was co-founded by actress Glenn Close and Claudia McMurray, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science. This expert advisory board compliments the scientific and technical expertise of the Cat Advisory Council by finding innovative, non-traditional solutions to saving cats.
Members of the Conservation Council: Jane Alexander Distinguished stage and screen actress who has performed in more than 100 plays and 55 films Matt Bostock Co-founder of Lake 5 Media; serves as the CEO Glenn Close Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony Award-winning actress and Oscar-nominee Ali Erfan CEO of Tigris Financial Group (UK) Paul Klotman, MD President and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine. Formerly, he served as Chairman of the Samuel Bronfman Department of Medicine at Mt. Sinai Medical Center
Claudia McMurray President and CEO of Mainstream Green Solutions LLC; prior Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science John Mitchell, PhD Research Fellow at The New York Botanical Garden; Chair and Executive Secretary of the Beneficia Foundation Jonathon Powell Managing Director and Senior Adviser at Morgan Stanley, London; served as Chief of Staff to former Prime Minister Tony Blair Nicolle Wallace Served as Senior Advisor and spokesman for the McCainPalin campaign; worked as a political analyst at CBS News; served President George Bush as an Assistant to the President and Director of Communications to the White House
« Our metric of success is simple: more healthly wild cat populations co-existing in a dynamic human landscape »
Panthera’s impact is global. Our models and our accomplishments are unparalleled. Tiger in tree © N. Garbutt; Anti-poaching patrol © S. Winter/National Geographic
7: PAnthera’s Footprint
Panthera’s Conservation Footprint
Panthera’s conservation footprint spans one-third of the Earth’s terrestrial surface, with over 90 projects covering more than 50 countries in three continents.
Tiger © N. Garbutt; Snow leopard © S. Winter/National Geographic; Kaplan Scholar Leela Hazzah trains Lion Guardians © A. Howard; Aerial of the Pantanal, Brazil © S. Winter/Panthera (opposite)
8: What People Are Saying
What People Are Saying “Panthera’s Jaguar Corridor Initiative ranks with the world’s most ambitious conservation programs.” –National Geographic
“Panthera is unique in its approach of utilizing the most rigorous science to affect measurable success in big cat conservation. We at the American Museum of Natural History are proud to partner with them in these efforts.”
“Dr. Rabinowitz’s commitment to conservation is unparalleled. It’s that single minded pursuit that has led to saving so many cats and so much of their habitats, earning our respect and this lifetime achievement award.” –Vyv Simpson, Executive Producer and Creative Director of the Natural History Unit, Africa
–Dr. George Amato, Director, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics American Museum of Natural
“Panthera represents the most comprehensive effort of its kind in wild cat conservation. The big cats of the world need our help, and a scientific collaboration between the Big Cats Initiative and Panthera is a significant step forward in our efforts to save endangered cat species around the world.” –Terry Garcia, Executive Vice President, Mission Programs, National Geographic
“ Save the Tiger Fund has partnered with Panthera because we recognize the urgency of the current state of tigers in the wild and because Panthera knows how to save tigers.” –Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and CEO of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
opposite: Panthera
with CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon in Brazil.
9: Panthera in the Spotlight
Panthera in the Spotlight Panthera’s CEO, Dr. Alan Rabinowitz has been dubbed ‘conservation’s Indiana Jones’ by Time Magazine. Panthera has been featured in:
1,000’s of print articles
top-tier broadcasts
New York Times
The Mail & Guardian
ABC
Wall Street Journal
USA Today
Animal Planet
Washington Post
LA Times
BBC ‘Lost Land of the Tiger’
Forbes
Vogue
CBS 60 Minutes Australia
Bloomberg
Science
CBS 60 Minutes US
Associated Press
Nature
Colbert Report
Reuters
Smithsonian
CNN: World Report; Sanjay Gupta
Business Day
National Geographic Magazine
Discovery
Financial Times
Fox Business News
BBC
MSNBC
The Telegraph
National Geographic ‘Jaguars’ and ‘Cougars’
« By 2016, Panthera’s Tigers Forever Program will be implemented in at least 50% of the worlds 42 remaining tiger source sites. »
Running tiger © A. Rouse; Mother and cub © S. Winter/National Geographic; Tiger in India © A. Rouse (opposite)
10: Tigers Forever
Panthera’s Tiger’s Forever Program is the most strategic plan for saving tigers in the wild. •
Tigers Forever is a science-based, metrics-driven business plan for saving tigers.
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We measure and monitor conservation outcomes so funds and activities are focused only on the most effective actions to increase tiger numbers.
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We are committed to increasing tiger numbers at key sites by at least 50% over a decade.
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Today, Tigers Forever is at 17 sites in 7 tiger range countries.
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By 2016, Tigers Forever will be implemented in at least 50% of the worlds 42 remaining tiger source sites.
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Panthera is developing an arsenal of field tools for more effective law enforcement and for more rigorous monitoring of tigers and their prey.
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In 2012, Panthera produced over 4,000 camera trap units to monitor tigers and other big cats.
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Tigers Forever is the solution for saving tigers for the future.
« Panthera’s strategy is the only long-term solution to keeping lions alive in the wild. »
Lion cub swatting a camera trap © P. Briggs; Male lion © L. Hunter / Panthera; Lion Guardian holds the paw of a lion © P. Briggs (opposite)
11: Project Leonardo
Project Leonardo is the grand vision needed to conserve Africa’s remaining lions. •
This is the first conservation plan for lions across their entire African range.
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Project Leonardo is focused on mitigating the rampant and escalating conflict between lions and people.
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We evaluate the most critical landscapes and target the worst conflict hotspots to stem the species’ catastrophic range collapse.
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Panthera works in key lion sites that have been overlooked due to remoteness, unrest and war.
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Our surveys documented the last remaining lions in West Africa, and identified lion corridors between national parks in Tanzania with 20-25% of Africa’s remaining lions.
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We are building successful teams of Lion Warriors from local communities, who are employed to prevent lion conflicts, across priority lion range states.
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Project Leonardo is leading the effort of a pan-Africa policy on sustainable hunting that ensures the best possible outcome for Africa’s lions.
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Panthera’s strategy is the only long-term solution to keeping lions alive range-wide.
ÂŤ With genetic continuity as the greatest hedge against extinction, panthera is working to guarantee the survival of this species throughout its current range, forever. Âť
Jaguar lying on the banks of a river in the Pantanal, Brazil; Camera trap captured a jaguar moving through a cattle ranch, Brazil; Aerial of the Pantanal (opposite) Š Steve Winter/Panthera (3)
12: The Jaguar Corridor Initiative
Panthera’s Jaguar Corridor Initiative (JCI) is the most comprehensive, transformative, and large scale conservation strategy ever implemented for a wide-ranging carnivore species. •
Panthera works in 13 of the 18 jaguar range states, with the goal of being in all 18 in five years.
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The range-wide genetic corridor of the jaguar was revealed in 1999 after research indicated no clear racial differentiation of the jaguar from Mexico to Argentina – it was one species.
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Our goal to preserve the jaguar’s genetic continuity is unprecedented in the history of wildlife conservation.
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Genetic continuity is the greatest hedge against extinction and the JCI guarantees the jaguars survival across its range, forever.
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Panthera has mapped the potential genetic corridors for the jaguar from Mexico to Argentina. We are now ground-truthing the highest priority corridors and signing agreements with governments to protect corridors through land-use zoning laws.
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Within the Corridor, Panthera is focused on mitigating human-jaguar conflict with ranchers – one of the greatest threats to the jaguars survival.
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Panthera has signed agreements with ministers and heads of state in Colombia, Belize, and Honduras; Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, Guyana and Suriname are pending.
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The JCI has become the model for large carnivore conservation across the globe.
« Our programs span 10 of the 12 snow leopard range countries »
clockwise from top left: A
community uses a predator-proof corral; a snow leopard captured by a camera trap; Tom McCarthy collects snow leopard scat for analysis. Opposite: Snow
© S. Winter/National Geographic (2); N. Bishop; S. Winter/National Geographic
leopard habitat.
13: The Snow Leopard Program
Panthera’s Snow Leopard Program utilizes cutting-edge research to provide the most comprehensive data ever collected for this rare and elusive species. •
In 2008 Panthera led a conference of experts from 11 of 12 range countries, which resulted in the first range-wide and global strategy for conserving snow leopards..
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Panthera is involved in conservation programs in 10 of the 12 range states.
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With less known about snow leopards than the other big cats, Panthera is obtaining a thorough assessment of their status, using remote camera traps, fecal genetics, and other non-invasive tools developed by Panthera.
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Our study in Mongolia is the most extensive ever undertaken. Since 2008, 18 snow leopards have been outfitted with GPS satellite collars, the largest number in history from one study site.
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Panthera has helped establish, update and implement national action plans in 3 countries and is leading efforts in China which holds over 50% of all wild snow leopards.
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Our science and community driven approaches have allowed Panthera to roll out successful conflict mitigation programs in 10 of the 12 snow leopard countries.
« Leopards are one the most wide-ranging carnivores on the planet and the most persecuted large felid in the world. »
A resting leoaprd, South Africa © L. Hunter/Panthera; Cougar in a tree in Wyoming © S. Winter/Panthera; Camera trap of an Asiatic cheetah in Iran © IR DOE/CACP/WCS/UNDP/Panthera
14: Other Species
Panthera conducts unique and specialized projects on leopards in Africa, Iranian cheetahs in Iran and cougars in Wyoming, USA. Iranian Cheetahs • In Iran, Panthera is protecting the last remaining population of the Asiatic cheetah, with fewer than 100 animals surviving.
Leopards • Panthera’s Muyawana Leopard Project in South Africa is the most comprehensive leopard conservation project ever conducted.
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We affixed the first ever radio collars to Asiatic cheetahs to understand how they use their limited landscape.
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We have impacted public policy to regulate leopard trophy hunting and the management of “problem” animals.
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Panthera is training cadres of Cheetah Guards- specialist teams of rangers that protect cheetahs and their prey from widespread illegal hunting.
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Panthera is reducing the demand for leopard skins in South Africa worn by religious groups by providing sustainable options for fake fur products.
Cougars • Panthera has been involved in the longest cougar monitoring project in the Tetons, researching cougar ecology, behavior and dynamics with other carnivores, as well as humans.
A tiger mother stretches, while cub looks on; WCS staff in Thailand place Panthera camera traps in Huai Kai Kaeng; simba scouts tracking and checking GPS unit. clockwise from top:
opposite: Antipoaching
map their routes
Š N. Garbutt; A. Howard; S. Winter/National Geographic (2)
patrols
15: Partnerships
Partnerships: Leveraging human and financial resources As a leader in the field, Panthera uses strategic partnerships to address the many threats and issues facing wild cats. major partnerships include:
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The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit of Oxford University’s Department of Zoology (WildCRU)
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National Geographic Society’s Big Cats Initiative (BCI)
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American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)
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Snow Leopard Trust (SLT)
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Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation (LCAOF)
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Save the Tiger Fund (STF)
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International Caucus Conservation Foundation (ICCF)
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Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
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Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ)
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Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
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International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Cat Specialist Group
Panthera 8 West 40th St., 18th Floor New York, NY 10018 T +1 (646) 786-0400 | F +1 (646) 786-0401 info@panthera.org | www.panthera.org