We think cats hate swimming – and while many do – you might be surprised to hear that many wild cats swim regularly, and (whisper it) they don’t actually hate it. From jungle rivers to African wetlands, several wild cat species are not only capable swimmers, they actually enjoy it. Whether it’s hunting, cooling off or just exploring their habitat, these felines […]
Tag: big cats
9 animals that could take on (and probably kill) a saltwater crocodile: Just which creatures are able to take on one of the world’s deadliest animals?
The saltwater crocodile, also known as the estuarine crocodile or saltie, is the largest of all living reptiles. Males can exceed 6m in length and a tonne in weight and are widely touted as producing the strongest bite-force of any animal. Like other crocodilians, they dismantle their prey using a manoeuvre called the ‘death roll’, which […]
Loss of prey could drive Atlantic Forest jaguars to extinction
Conserving the dwindling jaguar population in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest won’t be possible without protecting its prey. That’s the conclusion of a new study, which found that the absence of deer, peccaries and other animals that sustain these big cats is driving it toward local extinction. Jaguars (Panthera onca) once ranged from the southwestern U.S. to Argentina and […]
“That’s never going to heal.” A lion suffers a broken leg in Botswana. Will he be able to survive?
In Botswana’s Okavango Delta, a team of wildlife filmmakers have been tracking a group of big cats for the BBC TV series Big Cats 24/7 – and there’s one animal who has defied all odds. Malome, meaning ‘uncle’, was named because of his unusual relationship with the Xudum Pride; one of the biggest lion prides in the world. He […]
Powerful swimmers with massive heads, thick necks, and paws like sledgehammers, these diving big cats hunt below and above the water. Watch them in action
It was said that it couldn’t be done: the terrain was too dangerous; the floods would wipe out the cameras; the system was too unpredictable. But the truth is, no-one had really tried Andi Cross tells Melissa Hobson. We were headed to Porto Jofre, known for its wild jaguars, to help the Jaguar Identification Project (JIP) complete a […]
Do tigers get a taste for human flesh after a first bite?
Tigers are best admired at a distance. It’s far easier to appreciate these biggest of big cats when there’s no danger of being eaten by one. And the fact is that, while most tigers stick to a diet of deer, pigs and buffalo, they do sometimes kill and eat people. Between 2020 and 2024, tigers killed 378 people […]
Tiger experts hide camera traps in Sumatran jungle. What they capture is “critically important”
Camera traps installed in a jungle in northern Sumatra have recorded nearly three times more images of critically endangered Sumatran tigers than previous surveys. The work, which took place in the Leuser Ecosystem – a huge area of forest located in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra – shows that sustained conservation on the […]
Global tiger trafficking crisis worsens with nine big cats seized monthly
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysa (AP) — Authorities have seized an average of nine tigers each month over the past five years, highlighting a worsening trafficking crisis. A report by TRAFFIC warns that criminal networks are evolving faster than conservation efforts can respond. The global wild tiger population has plummeted to an estimated 3,700-5,500. Despite international protection, […]