Big Cat - Info
I have been working with Big Cats as a photographer from the beginning of my professional career, and over the years I have supported the conservation of some of the more endangered cat species; primarily tigers and Amur leopards.
One question, I have been often asked, is
There is no scientific definition of the term 'Big Cat' and if you search the Internet, you will see that there are different definitions regarding which wild cat species are considered to be a Big Cat. Most common are the two specifications below:
By Size
Just looking at the cats' size, the term Big Cat would include
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Some people consider also the medium-sized cat species as Big Cats. This goes in particular for the Clouded Leopard, but also for the Lynx, the Caracal and the Serval Cat. These cats are however significantly smaller than the ones mentioned above.
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The Cat Species of the Genus Panthera
In the conservation world Big Cats are most often referred to as the cats of the genus Panthera
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No matter how you define Big Cat, all wild cats and the larger ones in particular struggle to survive extinction. Poaching, Habitat Loss, Depletion of Prey and Diseases are the most common threats to wild cats and also to other wildlife species. In addition to this, the shrinking habitat and the lack of prey is leading to an increased human/wildlife conflict.
You can access detailed information about the individual species and threats to wildlife by clicking on the highlighted terms. Please note, the links lead you to the IUCN Cat Specialist Group's web page, which researches the wild cats conservation status on an ongoing basis. As they group cats by continents, it is unfortunately not obvious that some of the wild cat species like the lions and leopards do exist in on different continents. Because of this, the links for the lions and tigers lead yoou to different pages on the Cat Specialists Group web page.
One question, I have been often asked, is
What is a Big Cat?
There is no scientific definition of the term 'Big Cat' and if you search the Internet, you will see that there are different definitions regarding which wild cat species are considered to be a Big Cat. Most common are the two specifications below:
By Size
Just looking at the cats' size, the term Big Cat would include
--------------Tiger-----------------Lion-----------------Jaguar--------------Leopard----------Snow Leopard
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--Some people consider also the medium-sized cat species as Big Cats. This goes in particular for the Clouded Leopard, but also for the Lynx, the Caracal and the Serval Cat. These cats are however significantly smaller than the ones mentioned above.
------The Cat Species of the Genus Panthera
In the conservation world Big Cats are most often referred to as the cats of the genus Panthera
--------------Tiger-----------------Lion------------------Jaguar---------------Leopard-----------Snow Leopard
No matter how you define Big Cat, all wild cats and the larger ones in particular struggle to survive extinction. Poaching, Habitat Loss, Depletion of Prey and Diseases are the most common threats to wild cats and also to other wildlife species. In addition to this, the shrinking habitat and the lack of prey is leading to an increased human/wildlife conflict.
You can access detailed information about the individual species and threats to wildlife by clicking on the highlighted terms. Please note, the links lead you to the IUCN Cat Specialist Group's web page, which researches the wild cats conservation status on an ongoing basis. As they group cats by continents, it is unfortunately not obvious that some of the wild cat species like the lions and leopards do exist in on different continents. Because of this, the links for the lions and tigers lead yoou to different pages on the Cat Specialists Group web page.