Luke Hunter Luke Hunter is the Global Carnivore Program Coordinator for the Wildlife Conservation Society and an Associate Conservation Scientist in the Science and Exploration Program. Born in Australia, Hunter has conducted fieldwork on large cats in Southern Africa since 1992, focusing on efforts to restore species to areas of their former range. His doctorate examined the behavior and ecology of reintroduced cheetahs and lions, a study he expanded into post-doctoral studies at the University of Natal as part of a large-scale project to unite multiple efforts at reintroduction of large cats in South Africa. In 2002, he instigated ongoing research into the effect of  trophy hunting and illegal persecution on the population dynamics of leopards in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, resulting in the establishment of a leopard conservancy in the province's Maputaland region.   His current projects include an analysis of the conservation needs of large carnivores across continental Africa, and running WCS's Lion Conservation Program, the first strategic initiative to conserve the African lion throughout its range. Hunter has contributed to 50 scientific papers and popular articles, and has written five books. He is the Carnivore Section Chair of the IUCN Reintroduction Specialist Group and is a member of the IUCN Cat and Hyaena Specialist Groups.