Felidae Conservation Fund

08/28/2026

Letting our pets outside may be exposing them to more risks than we realize. Particularly from dusk to dawn, our furry friends are better off inside.

Outdoor and feral cats can spread parasites to humans and wildlife alike, impacting public health and wild cat populations.

Your pets don’t have to say goodbye to the outdoors for good, though! Keeping them up to date on vaccines and spending time outside on a leash or in an enclosed “catio” protects your cats and local wildlife.

Learn more via our Wild Cat Health Project overview: https://tinyurl.com/mrx27e8y

08/27/2026

As urban areas expand into wildlife habitat, people and pumas are increasingly sharing the landscape.

While the chances of encountering a puma are extremely low and most encounters are brief, it’s important to understand how to live and recreate responsibly in puma territory.

Together, we can reduce potential conflict and help communities feel more confident sharing the landscape with these important predators.

08/26/2026

Happy International Dog Day!

Dogs are our best friends, but they are also used in conservation.

Dogs can be trained to locate wildlife products in airports, and they can also locate wildlife or wildlife products in the field!

Felidae uses conservation dogs in our Bhutan Wild Cat Health Project. Here, the dogs are trained to locate s**t from wild felids across four of Bhutan’s protected areas.

The s**t is collected and analyzed for exposure to parasites and viruses like canine distemper virus and leptospirosis. This gives us an idea of how urban encroachment is affecting wild cat population health.

08/26/2026

Two recently published studies by Felidae Conservation Fund researchers explored how pumas and other wildlife respond to human disturbances—including artificial light and domestic dogs.

By examining spatiotemporal and behavioural responses, researchers can better understand how wildlife is adapting to human-dominated landscapes—and where those changes may create risks for human–wildlife conflict.

These insights can help inform targeted mitigation strategies and coexistence as urban landscapes continue to change.

08/25/2026

How do we study pumas without disturbing them?

From camera traps and genetic sampling to community science and spatial modelling, non-invasive methods help researchers understand puma populations, health, behavior, and threats across their landscapes.

These insights help identify risks and inform conservation strategies to mitigate threats and support coexistence.

08/24/2026

We are excited to kick off Puma Week from August 24 to 30!

All week long, we will share research insights and ways to protect these cats.

Today we are highlighting Felidae’s flagship project, the Bay Area Puma Project (BAPP)! Started in 2007, BAPP uses research and outreach to foster human-wildlife coexistence and better understand how pumas are affected by increasing encroachment at the urban-wildland interface.

Stay tuned for more content all week!

08/21/2026

Did you know that mountain lions may be one secret to safer roads? Mountain lions hunt at the forest edge, which affects the behavior of prey species, like mule deer.

Mule deer change their behavior in order to avoid pumas, moving away from roadways and instead increasing their use of the forest. This shift to reduced urban-edge use, particularly around roads, has led to a 67% reduction in the chance of wildlife-vehicle collisions involving deer.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/yur8csaw

08/20/2026

Brazil is home to 10 wild cat species (e.g., puma, margay, pampa cat), but habitat fragmentation is prevalent and increasingly contributes to another emerging threat: the spread of disease.

As remaining forest patches become smaller and isolated, wild felids are pushed closer to urban areas with domestic cats and dogs, as well as people. Brazil ranks #3 worldwide in number of pets and has a large feral/outdoor cat population. This increases the chance of transmission of diseases like feline leukemia, Canine Distemper Virus, and rabies. Improved connectivity between habitats, coupled with efforts to vaccinate domestic pets are essential to preventing the spread of disease to wildlife.

Learn more about this pressing issue: https://tinyurl.com/5c5cw9wz


Photo Credit: Patagonia Wild Cat Project

08/19/2026

Across its range, the mainland leopard cat is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but many local populations face serious threats. In Taiwan, less than 500 individuals remain, while for Japan's Tsushima and Iriomote island populations, there are only ~ 100 cats. Such isolated populations are especially vulnerable and can disappear quietly. Despite their wide overall range, loepard cats are still understudied compared to big cat species.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/mtp9mayz


Video sourced from Felidae’s Bhutan Wild Cat Health Project

08/18/2026

How does drought affect tiger habitat use? In Nepal’s youngest National Parks, tiger populations are showing some growth, while declines are more pronounced in older parks. This is thought to be driven by drought and the spread of invasives in some of the older parks. In turn, this could push tigers to areas with more water availability, such as newer parks. In newer parks like Banke, Parsa and Shuklaphanta, Nepal has invested in the establishment of artificial ponds and wetlands, thus, water availability is higher and habitat is more suitable for tigers. Tigers are endangered across their range and concerns about human-wildlife conflict remain, including in Nepal.

Learn more: https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/nepals-newest-national-parks-drive-tiger-recovery-but-new-concerns-arise/



Photo sourced from Felidae’s Bhutan Wild Cat Health Project

KATHMANDU — Nepal is now home to an estimated 429 wild tigers, up from 355 four years ago and nearly four-fold from 16 years ago, the country’s conservation officials reported on the occasion of World Tiger Day. As the country celebrates this historic achievement, a closer look at the latest num...