Here is an Infographic telling us about the shocking decline in population numbers of four iconic wild cat species. These are for big cats. I have left out the jaguar which is a classic big cat for no particular reason. It’s important to remember that, as stated in the Infographic, the best experts in the world often don’t know how many wild cats of a certain species are living in the wild. Sometimes they have no idea whatsoever. They just don’t have a handle on it. They know for a fact that the numbers are declining but they don’t know how fast.
Even the iconic cat species such as the ones presented in the infographic present problems in terms of identifying current population numbers. For instance, I went to the IUCN Red List (best website for these stats) to check the number of common leopards left on the planet worldwide today in 2024 and there’s no number. They just don’t know which I think points to a terrible situation regarding conservation of the wild cat species or indeed any other animal. There simply isn’t enough concern about it. And I can say that with some certainty because I’ve been tracking conservation efforts for the last 17 years. I don’t see a worldwide commitment. I see individuals being tremendously committed to conservation but at a political and worldwide level true commitment doesn’t exist. Money trumps conservation always and always will.
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