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In This Issue 's mission is to conserve the world's 36 of wild . Bringing together the knowledge and expertise of the world's leading Donate Now biologists, and working in partnership with local and international NGOs, scientific institutions, universities and government agencies, 100% of your donation will Panthera develops and implements range-wide species conservation fund our work in the field. strategies for the world's most imperiled wild cats. Administrative and overhead

costs are covered by designated grants. The Last of Panthera has been engaged with multiple partners in working to See our Times Square conserve Asiatic Video cheetahs in Iran since 2006. Estimated at 200 in the 1970's, the last Asiatic cheetahs are now thought to number 60-100 animals, all occupying the remote and arid central Center plateau of Iran. Iran considers their , which is on the verge of extinction, an important part of its natural and cultural heritage and it Recent Publications has now become a symbol of the country's conservation efforts. Led by Ranching and Iran's Department of the Environment, various groups are working Biodiversity Conservation as together to ensure a future for this charismatic cat. Allies in South America's Flooded By Almira & Rafael Click here to view the most recent article about these efforts, "Saving a Hoogesteijn - Cat That Calls the Iranian Desert Its Home," and read how Panthera's Special Advisor, Pantanal Executive Director, Dr. Luke Hunter, explains current threats facing Project the , and why these animals need to be saved.

Other Resources 10th Snow Joins Long-Term Monitoring Scientific Publications Technical Manuals Project...And - It's a Girl! Popular Articles On May 16th, in partnership with the Trust, Panthera's field staff successfully collared the 10th snow leopard at our long-term Quick Links monitoring site in . While a female leopard was previously Contact us! captured, her collar quickly dropped off, so we hope we are able to About Us collect new and important data on this particular female. Panthera in the News Partners Dr. Tom McCarthy, Panthera's resident snow leopard expert, Newsletter Archives explained that the team believes this two year old female to be the daughter of an older female snow leopard who has recently been appearing in Panthera's images. Over the coming months, Panthera and the Snow Leopard Trust will closely track this snow leopard's movements to learn about dispersal, reproduction, usage and requirements, and answer other important questions that will aid in conserving these gorgeous creatures. So far, this snow leopard, recently named Zaraa, is occupying an area of land that overlaps with the range of Tsagaan, a four to five year old male snow leopard we are tracking.

Tracking snow using GPS collars is one of the most effective ways to learn about their conservation needs, and help us save this elusive species. GPS collars can cost $3,500 a piece. To help us track and protect snow leopards, click here. You can also visit our website to read more about our snow leopard projects in .

Our staff take extreme care when collaring snow leopards. While sedated, the cats' vital signs are closely monitored using pulse oximeters (the blue device attached to this cat's

ear) and are kept warm in the 's freezing temperatures using hot water bottles - you can see a pink bottle between this cat's front legs.

Skinning the Cat for Fashion

Staff from Panthera's Munyawana Leopard Project (MLP) in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South have been called upon to serve as expert witnesses in a case involving the confiscation of skins from at least 92 leopards. Just outside of the MLP study site, South African police recently caught a Zulu community member with a horde of leopard artifacts. When seized, most of these skins had already been turned into "fashion" garments, which have traditionally been worn by royalty and significant dignitaries as a symbol of rank in Zulu culture.

In the past, the statutory authority, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal , provided the Zulu royal family with skins from leopards that had been hunted due to human-leopard conflicts. However, today these skins are frequently being worn by lower-ranking officials and the general public. As a result, local demand for leopard skins has exceeded the

Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife's supply and the illegal trade of leopard skins is now more popular than ever.

This leopard skin "shoulder garment" has recently become a fashionable and acquirable piece of clothing in the Zulu community. For this reason, Panthera is providing assistance in this trial and urging authorities to deliver a firm sentence for this to discourage the growth of illegal and protect the less than 300 leopards living in the entire KwaZulu-Natal province. Panthera's Munyawana Leopard Project, now in its eighth year running, has carried out recent conservation interventions to reduce human- leopard conflict over depredation and improve the sustainability of of leopards, which has helped double population in this region since 2005.

You can learn more about our leopard conservation efforts by visiting our Munyawana Leopard Project website.

TIME - "Farmers vs. : A Battle to the Death in " Some experts believe that if lions continue to be persecuted at their current rate, Kenya, a country whose name alone evokes lions in the , may lose this species in the next ten to twenty years. Sadly, this majestic is under real threat throughout most of Africa due to habitat loss and lack of wild prey, but primarily due to human- conflict. These conflict situations often result in local people taking matters into their own hands to kill lions - via spears, guns, traps or poison - as these predators are seen as threats to their livelihoods. Recently, Panthera's Executive Director, Luke Hunter, was interviewed for the TIME article, "Farmers vs Lions: A Battle to the Death in Kenya," to provide an expert opinion on the effectiveness of current lion conservation strategies. Click here to read this article and view the beautiful photos of Kenya's wildlife.

While the situation in Kenya is dire, conservation solutions do exist. Living with Lions (LWL) and Panthera have pioneered the Lion Guardians program in which Maasai murran - the young male warriors who have traditionally hunted lions - take the lead in protecting lions. Guardians have stopped at least 25 lion hunts this year alone and no lions have been killed where the Guardians patrol: that contrasts horribly with a spate of killing outside the zone of protection in which at least 18 lions have been speared in early 2010. In the next year, LWL and Panthera hope to expand Lion Guardians across much larger landscapes; we have to, if we are to protect the lion at a scale that will really make a difference.

Lions desperately need your help. Please act now to support Panthera's lion conservation efforts.

Panthera's "Underground Railway" In case you missed it, recently published an exceptional full-feature article and video covering Panthera's Jaguar Corridor Initiative - a project that is figuratively building an "underground railway" by providing safe passage for moving between populations all the way from Mexico down to Argentina. Focusing on the development of the Barbilla Corridor in , the story also provides a captivating look into the world of ranchers and jaguars and the conflicts that arise from sharing their homes, but also what is being done to mitigate these conflicts.

Read "To Help Jaguars Survive, Ease Their Commute" and watch the "Path of the Jaguar" video to learn how jaguars are navigating human landscapes in order to survive (including swimming across the Panama Canal!) and listen to stories from local ranchers and Panthera staff working to resolve human-jaguar conflicts.

The Artist Novoa Paints for Chilean born painter Gustavo Novoa is renowned for his fantastical depictions of wildlife. The heart of Panthera's conservation work - jaguars, lions, snow leopards and - are often the subjects celebrated in Novoa's artwork. Represented exclusively by Wally Findlay Galleries for nearly 40 years, Novoa, along with the Gallery, have generously donated one of his beautiful paintings for a special online auction through June 16th, with proceeds benefiting Panthera. If you are an art lover and want to help save big cats, place your bid for this stunning piece on Charity Buzz.

Starting June 16th, Wally Findlay Galleries will feature an exhibition by Novoa. Find out more at www.wallyfindlay.com.

George Schaller's "Idea to Change the World" Having studied animals ranging from the mountain , jaguar, , , lion, snow leopard and goats of the Himalaya for over 50 years, Dr. , Panthera's Vice President, is heralded as one of the founding fathers of the field of conservation. This month, an article written by Dr. Schaller was featured in Forbes First Anniversary Edition magazine's "Ideas to Change the World" report.

In "Everyone's Environment" Schaller explains that: "Conservation is not a goal but a never-ending process, one in which everyone has to be involved...By using all our wisdom, knowledge, passion, perseverance, dedication, and ever-lasting commitment, we can retain the beauty and health of our planet. After all, it is the only home we shall ever have."

Rouse Roars for Tigers

Wildlife photographer, Andy Rouse, has just released his latest book: "TIGERS: A Celebration of Life." Aptly published in 2010, the Chinese Year of the Tiger, this book is the culmination of tiger photographs taken by Rouse over a period of eight years. A true conservationist, Rouse personally funded the publication of this book in order to donate a sizable amount of proceeds to support programs, including Panthera's Tiger Corridor Initiative and the joint Panthera-WCS Tigers Forever project.

Along with award-winning images, the book includes tips for budding photographers on how to snap wildlife photos and suggestions for tourists on the best locations to view tigers in . If you are looking for a great Father's Day gift, this could be it. Rouse will even dedicate the book to Dad! Visit his website at www.arwpstore.com to find the standard and collector's editions of this book.

A Special Visit from Panthera's Junior Cat Ambassadors Justin and Kate Kopp, pictured here, are the founders of Cans for Cats - an entrepreneurial club that donates money raised by recycling aluminum cans to support Panthera's conservation programs. Since 2009, Justin and Kate have made several generous donations to Panthera. Just weeks ago, Justin and Kate came all the way from Minnesota to see the Big Apple and visit Panthera, where they each received a "Junior Cat Ambassador" award. The Kopps are shining examples of how anyone can get involved to support critical conservation work. Please visit www.cans4cats.com to learn more about their fundraising efforts.

If you have other innovative ideas about ways to support our big cat conservation programs, send us a message on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pantheracats.

To learn more about Panthera and how you can help save the world's wild cats, visit: www.panthera.org

To see more 'Panthera in the News', please visit:

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