In This Issue Panthera's mission is to conserve the world's 36 species of wild cats. Bringing together the knowledge and expertise of the world's leading Donate Now cat 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 Cheetahs of Iran 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 animals in the 1970's, the last Asiatic cheetahs are now thought to number 60-100 animals, all occupying the remote and arid central Science Center plateau of Iran. Iran considers their cheetah, 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 Cattle 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 Savannas 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 Jaguar Project the Asiatic cheetah, and why these animals need to be saved. Other Resources 10th Snow Leopard Joins Long-Term Monitoring Scientific Publications Technical Manuals Project...And - It's a Girl! Popular Articles On May 16th, in partnership with the Snow Leopard Trust, Panthera's field staff successfully collared the 10th snow leopard at our long-term Quick Links monitoring site in Mongolia. 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 camera trap images. Over the coming months, Panthera and the Snow Leopard Trust will closely track this snow leopard's movements to learn about dispersal, reproduction, habitat 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 leopards 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 Asia. 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 Gobi desert'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 Africa 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 Wildlife, 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 crime to discourage the growth of illegal hunting 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 livestock depredation and improve the sustainability of trophy hunting of leopards, which has helped double the leopard 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. Lions: A Battle to the Death in Kenya" Some experts believe that if lions continue to be persecuted at their current rate, Kenya, a country whose name alone evokes lions in the Maasai Mara, may lose this species in the next ten to twenty years. Sadly, this majestic animal is under real threat throughout most of Africa due to habitat loss and lack of wild prey, but primarily due to human-lion 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, The New York Times 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 jaguars moving between populations all the way from Mexico down to Argentina. Focusing on the development of the Barbilla Corridor in Costa Rica, 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 Nature 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 tigers - 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 gorilla, jaguar, giant panda, tiger, lion, snow leopard and goats of the Himalaya for over 50 years, Dr. George Schaller, 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 India 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.