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Academic Research & Conservation Programs

Wild cat academic research and conservation programs play an important role in protecting these species and their habitats.

These programs are typically found at universities and wildlife institutes, combining scientific study with field work. Researchers in these programs study everything from wild cat behavior and genetics to habitat use, prey availability, and the impact of human activities. Their findings help guide conservation strategies, policy decisions, and educational outreach.

Programs vary widely in focus and scope. Some specialize in a single species—like leopards, snow leopards, or jaguars—while others study wild cat populations across regions or ecosystems. Many programs collaborate with local communities, governments, and international organizations to monitor populations, reduce human-wildlife conflict, and promote coexistence. Others run long-term field studies, train the next generation of wildlife biologists, or work on rewilding and habitat restoration efforts.

List of Academic Research and Conservation Programs

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Conducts research on the European wildcat in northern Greece focusing on spatial ecology and diel activity patterns in protected lowland areas.

GREECE (EUROPE)

Bay Area Puma Project

Large scale research, education and conservation program for pumas in and around the San Francisco Bay Area.

UNITED STATES (NORTH AMERICA)

Carnivore Coexistence Lab – University of Wisconsin–Madison

Research on carnivore ecology and coexistence with humans

UNITED STATES (NORTH AMERICA)

Chulalongkorn University

Part of the Feline Research Program studying clouded leopards Asian golden cats marbled cats and leopard cats. Research includes spatial ecology population dynamics and habitat suitability in Thailand’s forests.

THAILAND (SOUTHEAST ASIA)

Felidae Conservation Fund

Advances the conservation of the world’s 37 felidae species and their habitats through a combination of pioneering research, compelling education and state-of-the-art technology.

UNITED STATES (NORTH AMERICA)

Feline Research Center – Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute – Texas A&M

Long-term research on wild cat ecology and conservation

UNITED STATES (NORTH AMERICA)

Fondazione Edmund Mach

Part of the EUROMAMMALS initiative which includes the EUROWILDCAT and EUROLYNX projects

ITALY (EUROPE)

Himalayan Nature

Collaborates on fishing cat research and conservation focusing on habitat and distribution mapping in Nepal.

NEPAL (ASIA)

Mills Lab – University of Montana

Research on wild cat ecology and conservation

UNITED STATES (NORTH AMERICA)

Monash University: Mun Ya Wana Leopard Project

Our study aims to ensure that legal trophy hunting and problem animal control is biologically sustainable, and to reduce illegal persecution.

"...Our study aims to ensure that legal trophy hunting and problem animal control is biologically sustainable, and to reduce illegal persecution by improving livestock husbandry and curbing the trade in leopard skins..."

National University of Singapore

Engages in biodiversity research including small wild cats like the leopard cat with a focus on urban-wildlife interfaces and conservation in fragmented habitats.

SINGAPORE (SOUTHEAST ASIA)

Northern Jaguar Project

Protecting the world's northernmost jaguars.

UNITED STATES MEXICO (NORTH AMERICA)

Panthera – United States – Applied Science Program

Advanced research on wild cat biology and ecology

UNITED STATES (NORTH AMERICA)

Peking University

Involved in research on small wild cats like the Chinese mountain cat (Felis bieti) and leopard cat focusing on habitat suitability and conservation in high-altitude and forested regions.

CHINA (ASIA)

Small Mammals Conservation and Research Foundation

Engages in fishing cat research in protected areas and human-dominated landscapes in the Terai region alongside other small wild cats like the jungle cat and leopard cat.

NEPAL (ASIA)

Southern African Wildlife College

While primarily a training institution it supports wild cat research through partnerships with conservation organizations focusing on species like cheetahs leopards and smaller felids in southern Africa. Research includes population monitoring and habitat management.

SOUTH AFRICA (AFRICA)

Stellenbosch University – Department of Botany and Zoology

Conducts research on small wild cats such as the African wildcat and caracal focusing on their ecological roles hybridization risks and conservation in fragmented habitats.

SOUTH AFRICA (AFRICA)

Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico: Instituto de Ecologia: Laboratorio del Ecologia y Conservacion de Fauna Silvestre

Research and establishment of conservation plans and the creation of protected areas.

University of Cape Town – Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa

Conducts research on wild cats including lions leopards and smaller felids like the black-footed cat focusing on human-wildlife conflict ecological impacts and conservation strategies in southern Africa.

SOUTH AFRICA (AFRICA)

University of Lyon

Collaborates with Fondazione Edmund Mach in the EUROMAMMALS network contributing to wildcat and lynx research through data sharing and spatial ecology studies.

FRANCE (EUROPE)

University of Malaya

Conducts research on small felids like the flat-headed cat and Sunda clouded leopard focusing on habitat suitability and threats from deforestation and oil palm plantations in Borneo and the Malayan Peninsula.

MALAYSIA (SOUTHEAST ASIA)

University of Michican Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web

An online database of animal natural history, distribution, classification, and conservation biology.

University of North Texas: Wildlife Conservation Research Group

The Wildlife Conservation Research Group consists of researchers from the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Geography.

University of Oxford – Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU)

Internationally known for big cat conservation and applied wildlife research.

UNITED KINGDOM (EUROPE)

University of Pretoria – Mammal Research Institute

Researches large and small wild cats including lions leopards and African wildcats focusing on ecology behavior and conservation genetics. The institute addresses issues like hybridization between African wildcats and feral domestic cats.

SOUTH AFRICA (AFRICA)

University of the Witwatersrand – Centre for African Ecology

Conducts research on small wild cats such as the African wildcat and caracal focusing on their ecological roles hybridization risks and conservation in fragmented habitats.

SOUTH AFRICA (AFRICA)

Washington State University: Large Carnivore Conservation Lab

The Large Carnivore Conservation Lab in the Wildlife Program of the School of the Environment (SOE) at Washington State University (WSU) is an academic research unit that conducts field research on the ecology of large carnivores and their prey.

Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center – University of Arizona

Science-driven research and wildlife monitoring for wild cat conservation

UNITED STATES (NORTH AMERICA)

Wild Felid Research & Management Association

To promote the sound management, conservation, and restoration, where necessary, of wild felids in the Western Hemisphere through science-based management and education. Our intention is to openly share knowledge and expertise by facilitating relationship

UNITED STATES (NORTH AMERICA)