The main threats facing the big cats are all anthropogenic, or human caused, and fall under the categories of poaching or trophy hunting, habitat loss, prey loss, climate change, and the illegal pet trade (IUCN Cheetah, 2020; IUCN Jaguar, 2020; IUCN Leopard, 2020; IUCN Lion 2020; IUCN Puma, 2020; IUCN Snow Leopard, 2020; IUCN Tiger, 2020). Since these threats are caused by humans, it also means humans can change their ways to prevent these threats from impacting these beautiful cats.
For this website we have combined poaching, trophy hunting, direct killing and retaliatory killing all under the title of poaching. Poaching is the biggest threat impacing tigers, lions, and snow leopards (NTCA, 2020; Panthera Lion, 2020; SLC Threats, 2019). These three cats are poached for their parts to join the illegal wildlife trade and be used for traditional medicine, they are also being used in the bushmeat trade, canned trophy hunting and retaliatory or preemptive killings to protect livestock (BCA Canned Hunts, 2020; LRF Threats to Lions, 2020; SLC Threats, 2019; SWT, 2020; UNODC, 2020). Poaching has the greatest potential to do the maximum harm in a short time (MyCat Threats, 2020). Some ways to stop this trend is to not buy animal products, watch what meat you consume, and do not participate in canned trophy hunting.
Habitat loss is the biggest threat to jaguars, pumas, and cheetahs (CCF About, 2020; MLF Mountain Lions in the State, 2020; Panthera Panthera onca, 2020). The biggest threat facing leopards is human impact, followed by habitat loss (IUCN Leopard, 2020). Jaguars and pumas have been hit harder by habitat loss due to wildfires that have been increasing in Brazil and California (Bourunda, 2019; CalFire Incident Overview, 2020). Habitat loss occurs from the growing human population, infrastructure, roads, agriculture, deforestation, and wildfires (CBD & MLF, 2019; Mara-Meru Cheetah Project, 2016; Panthera Jaguar, 2020; WWF Jaguar, 2020). You can help by watching your meat consumption, using sustainable products like sustainable palm oil, decreasing your risk for starting a wildlife, and supporting connectivity projects like wildlife crossings and wildlife corridors.
Prey loss affects all the big cats but mainly the snow leopard (SLT The Threats, 2020). The snow leopard lives in an area where there is low productivity of prey options and increasing livestock herders make it more difficult to find prey resulting in prey loss or predation on livestock (Wold & Ripple, 2016). Prey loss can be a result of habitat loss or illegal or legal hunting of prey species (Panthera Cheetah, 2020; SLT The Threats, 2020). You can help by not consuming large amounts of their prey, reducing your hunting of legal prey species, and by not participating in illegal hunting of prey species.
Climate change affects every species on earth including the big cats, mainly the tiger and the snow leopard (SLT The Threats, 2020; WWF Tiger, 2020). Climate change is affecting species by rising sea levels, deforestation, temperature changes, and natural disasters (Duran, 2017). Mangroves play an important role in keeping coastal regions safe from storm surges and wind damage, and are also habitat for tigers (WWF Tiger, 2020). You can help reduce climate change by watching your carbon footprint, using environmentally friendly products, bike or walk instead of drive, using renewable energy, reducing your water use, and decreasing your meat consumption.
The illegal pet trade can affect any animal but is mainly affecting cheetahs and tigers (CCF Illegal Pet Trade, 2020; CTR, 2020). Cub petting is used to make money without any care about the animal itself. The cubs are taken from their mother shortly after birth, underfed, they are declawed, defanged and sometimes drugged so visitors can hold them (CTR, 2020). In the Middle East it is seen as an elite status to have a pet cheetah, and the growing use of social media only makes it worse (Bale, 2016; CCF Illegal Pet Trade, 2020). One in six cheetah cubs that are smuggled and enter the illegal pet trade survives to the buyer, meaning five cheetah cubs die on the journey (CCF Illegal Pet Trade, 2020). Saving Moka: The True Tale of a Rescued Tiger Cub, written by Georgeanne Irvine, was released in October 2020 as part of the Hope & Inspiration series of true stories of animals who face and overcome challenges at the San Diego Zoo. Moka was a tiger cub, in the illegal pet trade, that was brought over the border illegally from Mexico to the United States in 2017. Moka had a short stay at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park before moving to his forever home Lions Tigers and Bears.You can also cubs and all baby animals by not owning wild animals as pets and by not engaging or supporting places that allow cub petting.
You can learn more about these threats, poaching, habitat loss, prey loss, climate change, and the illegal pet trade and how they impact these big cats by visiting our blog page and reading the blogs that focus on these threats.
Literature Cited
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