Of nearly 40 species of wild cat, some
80 percent of them are known to be in decline, with around 16 considered to be either vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. And no prizes for guessing that the main threat is human activity: loss of habitat due to deforestation and farming; falling numbers of prey species as growing human populations compete for them; the wildlife trade, in particular the market for traditional medicines; and global warming, too, an increasing threat to some cats such as snow leopards. There are now
more captive tigers in the United States (and not all of them in zoos!) than there are left in the wild.
As materialistic as it sounds, the main challenge with big cat conservation is simply in persuading governments and local communities that these majestic animals are worth more to them alive than dead. And in that, responsible tourism is playing an increasingly important role: providing an economic argument against poaching and deforestation; assisting with research; earning funds for conservation efforts and perhaps above all, raising awareness among people from many different backgrounds about the threats that big cats face.
There’s a long way to go, and no way of telling yet whether it will be a happy ending. But we see encouraging signs. Growing numbers of vacation companies, many of them with tours on our own site, are insisting on a responsible approach to big cat tourism. In 2021,
South Africa announced that it would end its controversial lion-breeding programme that has for years supplied cubs for trophy hunting, and bones for traditional medicine. In 2018 China
reversed a decision to relax restrictions on trading in tiger and rhinoceros parts after a huge global outcry. And we know, at least in some countries such as Russia, that the presence of tourists is now acting as a deterrent against poaching and an incentive for local people to become more involved in conservation. Find out more below.
