Cats of the Wild

The Barbary Lion is a distinct population of lions of the northern subspecies of lion, Panthera leo leo. that roamed the North of Africa from the western coast of Morocco through to Egypt. They were one of the most prized and heralded exotic animals in the world, fighting bloody battles at the Colosseum, gatekeeping the famous Tower of London and they formed part of the traditional royal collectio...

The leopard is one of the most iconic species of wild cat on this planet. Currently, there's nine recognised subspecies of the leopard - this might soon change to eight - but only one of those is found in Africa - the African  Leopard. However down in the Western Cape of South Africa, the African leopards here are different. They're about half the weight of a typical African leopard and their...

The ‘Free and Sovereign State of Morelos’ is the second smallest state of Mexico and is home to every single species of wild cat found in Mexico. It’s also the home of Animal Karma, a non-profit foundation dedicated to rescue of ecosystems and species that inhabit them. In this episode, we meet founder Rodrigo Salgado and project director, Mariam Weston to learn about Mexico’s small wild cats and...

For thousands of years, wild cats have inspired artists to create incredible paintings, sculptures and other artworks. Today, through the power of social media these artists can now share their art with wide audiences and importantly use their art to bring awareness and support for wild cat conservation. So let's explore art & conservation together with three amazing wild cat artists - Liselle...

January 28, 2021 is the very first world Geoffroy's Cat Day! You see for this little-known South American small cat species, this is more than just about any single day - it's actually the start of a new era for the conservation of this species. In this episode we’ll meet Flávia Tirelli - the founder of the newly-formed Geoffroy’s Cat Working Group and Kylie Reynolds at Amazing Animals Inc who sta...

Deep in the north of India, hidden in the high valleys of the Himalayas, Ladakh is one of the most remote places on this planet. Leh, the capital of this region was once a major trading hub on the ancient Silk Road connecting Tibet to the east, Kashmir to the west and beyond through to India, China and Persia. These mountains have always been the home to the 'grey ghost' - the snow leopard. This m...

The Cape Peninsula, home to the city of Cape Town in South Africa is a global biodiversity hotspot. Prior to European settlement, this area was home to almost every large African animal – elephants, rhinos, hippos, red hartebeest – even the now-extinct Cape Lion  – that was one and a half times larger than an African lion. Today, Cape Town is a bustling, modern city and whilst it has lost mos...

The islands of Trinidad and Tobago have incredible biodiversity with tropical rainforests described as a mini Amazon, hundreds of species of birds and the last remaining island population of ocelots. All of this however is under threat - deforestation is tearing down precious habitats, hunting is rife and the island is at the nexus of the illegal wildlife trade. But there's a local wildlife r...

Today, more than ever – the mountain lion is mired in controversy, misinformation and fear and their very existence in the landscapes across America are inextricably interwined with the tricky politics of managing wildlife reserves in the US. What role does the mountain lion play in these ecosystems? What value if any, does it provide the local people and economies? And how do we move forward with...

Southern Africa is home to world's deadliest cat. It's not a lion, a cheetah or even a leopard – it’s the Black-footed cat. Today, we know quite a bit about this cat – but this wasn't the case almost thirty years ago when Dr. Alexander Sliwa started his research into this species. Research like this takes time, effort and most importantly passion. It can be tedious, arduous and sometimes boring. T...

In the Godavari river in the Eastern Ghats of India, fishermen and their families rely on the mangrove forest for their entire lives. But it's not only fishermen that go fishing – these mangrove forests are also one of the key habitats for the Fishing Cat, who often snatch fish right out of fishermen's nets. So how do you change an entire village's negative perception of the fishing cat? The answe...

The African Golden Cat is a shy, mysterious species of wild cat that lives in the equatorial forests of Africa. Little was known about this species until Badru Mugerwa, a conservation biologist from Uganda started studying this cat around the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with support from the local communities and the Uganda Wildlife Authority Since then, he leads perhaps the only ongoing dir...

In Pauri Garhwal in India, the Leopard has been in conflict with the local people for hundreds of years. Every year people are injured by leopards and leopards regularly kill families' livestock. In 2018, researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India began a year-long experiment to test the efficacy of a light – the fox light and found some surprising results. Can a simple LED light help people...

The Andean Cat is one of the world's most elusive wild cats. So when one stumbled onto a football field in a small Bolivian town - researchers were stunned! Where did he come from? Is he healthy? Can he be released back into the wild? This is the story of Jacobo, the Andean Cat - his capture, the people that looked after him and the international operation to release him back into the wild. This e...