Cats of the Wild

In Central & West Africa wildlife crime and corruption was rampant - and yet not a single individual had ever been prosecuted. It's in these fragile landscapes where lions are on the brink of extinction, leopards are under threat and other endangered species such as the western black rhino, gorillas and elephants could soon disappear.

So when a young activist discovered the lack of any real enforcement or action against wildlife crime in Cameroon, he began a journey to become the first NGO in the region to directly fight wildlife crime & corruption.

Almost twenty years later, they now operate in nine countries and incredibly have helped arrest and jail over 3000 wildlife traffickers in West and Central Africa. So in this episode, we'll explore how to fight wildlife crime & corruption and how the wild cats of West & Central Africa need our help - now.

Guest:

Ofir Drori, EAGLE Network

Links

EAGLE Network

Kamérimètre (Prod. By P1ague E1even & Zubo) - Cameroon Hip Hop Music

Dive into the heart of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula where ancient traditions meet modern challenges. 🐝🌳 In our latest episode, we explore the tropical dry forests of Calakmul, a place where Mayan beekeepers have been harvesting honey in harmony with nature for centuries.

But now, climate change is bringing an unexpected twist to the tale. With water becoming a precious commodity, a conflict brews between the local beekeepers and the majestic wildcats of the region. 🐆💧

Join us as we follow Mariam, Thelma, and Carlos from the Ocelot Working Group who are on the frontlines, fighting to resolve these conflicts. Their mission? To protect the wildcats and preserve the precious beekeeping practices that support over 25,000 families. 🌍🤝

Tune in to hear their story and discover the innovative solutions they're crafting to ensure that people and nature can thrive together for generations to come. 🌱🐾

Guests

Mariam Weston & Thelma Arenas, Ocelot Working Group

Happy New Year! Not a normal episode - just a quick thank you and how you can support Cats of the Wild!

Get in touch @catsofthewildpodcast on Instagram or [email protected]

The leopard is one of the most iconic species of wild cat on this planet. Currently, there's nine recognised subspecies of the leopard - this might soon change to eight - but only one of those is found in Africa - the African Leopard. However down in the Western Cape of South Africa, the African leopards here are different. They're about half the weight of a typical African leopard and their home ranges are eight to ten times bigger than a leopard in Kruger National Park.

These leopards of the cape are known for their elusiveness and their resilience. Whilst other large apex predators have disappeared around them in the last few centuries, the leopard here has survived. But that doesn't mean they're going to survive forever - it's estimated that there the wild and the challenges they face are increasing in both complexity and scale.

So in this episode, we'll meet Dr. Katy Williams - Research and Conservation Director for the Cape Leopard Trust. They're a leader in predator conservation and we'll learn more about the leopards in this area, the threats facing them and the plans the Cape Leopard Trust have to ensure they'll be a part of the Western Cape for centuries to come.

Links

• Cape Leopard Trust

Recently a friend sent me a photo on the Nat Geo Instagram account and said, “Hey, this could be a great story for your podcast”. It was a photo taken by Trevor Frost of Samantha Zwicker, a PhD student from the University of Washington with an ocelot deep in the Peruvian Amazon. I don't know if this was intended, but this photo really reminded me of that famous photo of Jane Goodall, touching the hands of an infant chimpanzee in Gombe, Tanzania.

But just like that photo, there's a fascinating story behind this photo too. In August, 2018, Sam received an emergency message from the local community, that there was a small wild cat wandering the floor of a community store. It was that ocelot in the photo - Keanu. His mother had been killed due to logging and as a small kitten he was destined for the illegal wildlife trade.

Sam, however, had a bright future planned for Keanu. One without cruelty, one without fences - a future at home, free and wild in the Amazon. This is the story of Sam and her not-for-profit Hoja Nueva - a beacon of hope deep in the jungle of the Peruvian Amazon, where every day they rehabilitate and rewild threatened wildlife, just like Keanu, the ocelot.

Links

• Hoja Nueva - Home - Conservation Center Peruvian Amazon Rainforest
• Research Paper - Characterising trade at the largest wildlife market of Amazonian Peru