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Great Cats Program
 Across the globe, large cats and other carnivores have suffered range loss and population decline at astounding rates. Cats are highly sensitive to fragmentation and loss of habitat, and declines in their prey. They are also relentlessly shot, poisoned and trapped in conflict with humans, particularly outside protected areas. In the face of human pressures on wilderness, large cats are among the most difficult species to conserve and often the first to disappear. Due to their wide-ranging movements and need for large tracts of intact habitat, large cats can be used to define entire functioning ecosystems. Therefore, cats are an effective tool for conservation planning and the design of protected areas.
WCS has the most extensive field program working to save cats of any conservation organization in the world. The Great Cats Program (GCP) draws on WCS expertise to develop and implement innovative strategies for studying and protecting some of the Earth’s most endangered cat species across their range. We also aim to standardize collection techniques on cats, and to answer important genetic questions that currently face cat populations.
Some initiatives that are currently being carried out by SEP staff, in collaboration with WCS regional programs include:
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