Felidae Conservation Fund

06/02/2026

As European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) face habitat loss and eradication efforts, hair snares are being used to collect vital information to protect them. The snares are used with scent or visual lures, attracting the cats, collecting DNA from their fur after it's pulled from the snare when a cat rubs against it. They allow for non-invasive data collection, enabling the identification of individual cats in a population.

Hair snares are just one of many non-invasive techniques Felidae uses to track wild cats. Data from hair samples can provide critical insights into population health, particularly around urban environments like the SF Bay Area.

Learn more: https://tinylink.net/0Jwtk

06/01/2026

A young female jaguar will be returned to her natural habitat in Bolivia, a first for the nation. Illegal hunting is a major threat to jaguars here. An average of 61 jaguars is estimated to be killed each year in Bolivia. Jaguars are also threatened by habitat fragmentation and human encroachment around remaining habitat, which contributes to human-wildlife conflict.

The female jaguar in question, known as Yaguara, lost her mother during Bolivia’s wildfires in 2024 and was rehabilitated before being released to the wild. If successful, her release could serve as a blueprint for further reintroduction efforts.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/zsu6avcs

Bolivia is preparing to release Yaguara, a rehabilitated jaguar whose survival could reshape big cat conservation.

05/29/2026

Habitat fragmentation is one of the biggest threats to local wildlife. So, how do we fix it?

Our latest article highlights the PumaLink Project and our mission to restore vital ecological corridors across the East Bay. By combining innovative predictive models with real-world ground truth, we're building a roadmap for coexistence.

Join the movement. Subscribe for free and read the latest update at https://tinyurl.com/2fzsmv5u or via the link in our bio!

Reviewing the current state of the East Bay habitat, what threats are at play, and how we can reconnect a fragmented landscape for all wildlife.

05/29/2026

How likely are attacks by mountain lions? Since 1978, VENDING MACHINES have caused 4x more deaths in the USA than lions have since 1868.

Fatal lion attacks are incredibly rare. Most have occurred within the last 4 decades, signaling a connection between habitat loss and increased human presence in wildlife habitats. This highlights a bigger issue: the importance of protecting mountain lion territory and improving public awareness about these important apex predators.

For more info:
https://felidaefund.org/news/vending-machines-and-cantaloupes-kill-more-people-than-mountain-lions

https://felidaefund.org/learn/living-alongside-wild-cats



Image sourced from Felidae's Bay Area Puma Project

05/28/2026

Join us next Saturday (June 6th) at the Coyote Creek Visitor Center, 9am to 1pm, for a special day celebrating the Coyote Creek Habitat and all the wildlife it supports.

Felidae biologist Ben will also be giving a brief presentation at noon on Felidae's work in the South Bay and greater Bay Area! Don't miss out!

Scan the QR code or visit the LinkTree in our bio for more info!

05/27/2026

Small wild cat species are understudied relative to big cats, yet they also provide beneficial ecosystem services. In India, caracals help regulate prey populations and reduce the spread of disease.

However, there is still a lack of data on this population. Surveys in four reserves in Rajasthan, India are planned as part of efforts to better understand how threats like habitat loss and fragmentation are affecting this species, providing crucial insights into the population's health.

Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/mtxauyws

Support small cat research here! felidaefund.org/donate

Rajasthan launches rare Caracal survey across four tiger reserves. Follow Bhaskar English Updates. The forests of Rajasthan are expanding conservation efforts beyond tigers to include small cats.

05/26/2026

Humans are the #1 cause of mortality for Texas’ mountain lions. In TX, they're listed as a “nongame” species, which means there are no harvest limits.

A proposed regulation under the Texas Commission of Fish and Game could provide critical information about mountain lion populations in the state. The regulation would require any mountain lion harvest to be reported, particularly on private lands. There is no current reporting requirement, so, the current status of the state’s population is largely unknown.

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO VOICE YOUR OPINION.

Let TX lawmakers know you support this regulation before they vote on it this week!

Comment here: https://tinyurl.com/ev5c67xn

05/26/2026

The conversion of leopard habitat to sugarcane fields in India has increased human-wildlife conflicts with leopards having no choice but to use those fields. Sugarcane fields can be ideal hiding places for young cubs, where they can rest while the mother hunts.

Inevitably, farmers might encounter the cubs and while some turn them over to wildlife officials, others might kill, traffic, or relocate them.

Understanding carnivore ecology in your region can help promote coexistence with these rare species.

Learn more: https://www.popsci.com/environment/leopard-moms-hide-babies-sugarcane/



Image sourced from Felidae's Bhutan Wild Cat Health Project

05/22/2026

Happy International Day for Biodiversity!

Biodiversity is key to ecosystem health, and wild cats provide valuable ecosystem services, contributing to that health. As carnivores, they help keep ecosystems balanced by preying on herbivores, which reduces the spread of disease while also preventing overbrowsing and overgrazing. Swipe through to learn more.

Learn more at felidaefund.org

05/21/2026

Be sure to check out our latest exclusive interview with
, discussing Felidae's newest paper, assessing the effects of sensory pollutants on wildlife species in San Mateo and Orange County.

Utilizing over 3 years of camera trap data, the study seeks to understand the impacts of light pollution on urban edge wildlife.

Read: https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/light-pollution-reshapes-predator-prey-dynamics-at-californias-urban-edge-study-finds/

Link in bio as well!