WildCats Conservation Alliance

WildCats Conservation Alliance is an initiative of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation (DWF). They are on a mission to save wild tigers and Amur leopards for future generations by raising awareness of their status and supporting locally appropriate programs that address key conservation issues. WildCats currently provides funding for conservation projects in China, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and Russia.

WildCats aim is to reduce the key threats to tigers and Amur leopards by increasing the area that is protected by antipoaching activities and enabling community coexistence with big cats through conflict mitigation. They also fund education and outreach efforts to communities living alongside big cats to help inspire them to act in the best interest of these iconic species. WildCats are dedicated to supporting scientifically valid interventions with measurable impact therefore fund research and monitoring activities. This informs future conservation actions through deepening the understanding of the population ecology of both tigers and Amur leopards. And finally, to ensure long-term conservation success, WildCats supports projects which are committed to developing in country capacity to create and sustain a cadre of experienced and knowledgeable conservationists.

In 2021 alone, WildCats granted £191,000 to 9 projects that covered 40,000km2, home to an estimated 740 tigers, approximately 14% of the current wild tiger population. On the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, the funding WildCats has mobilised has helped keep rangers properly equipped to carry out intelligence-led antipoaching patrols facilitating an 85% decrease in active tiger snares set in the core of the park since 2015. Long term funding in Kerinci Seblat National Park has helped to increase the tiger population by an incredible 25% in just 7 years.

To date, WildCats has mobilised over £4m in support of 103 projects. They work with implementing partners whose projects are regularly, independently, reviewed providing supporters with the confidence that their money is being used effectively. WildCats provides a mechanism for collective conservation effort with funds coming from the international zoo community, corporates and the general public. Together donors can make a greater impact than when acting alone.

Thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, tigers and Amur leopards remain a crucial component of Asia’s surviving forests, without it they would have already disappeared. The funds WildCats mobilise are helping to rewrite the future of these majestic species and create safe and secure habitats.

For more information visit: www.conservewildcats.org