Tag: Future

Wolf

An Iberian wolf out alone

Wolf

The wolf is a species that is often on the top of the list of animals that people would like to see in the wild before they die. It is truly a wonderful thing to see.

I have been lucky enough to see them twice, once from a bear hide in Sweden (look at the hide list, this one is the only currently available) as well as also seeing an Iberian wolf briefly, as well as hearing them in the distance.

There is something magical about being in an ecosystem where you are not the only dangerous animal. Wolves are not dangerous in the same way as the big 5 from Africa. Even spending years in the field, you are unlikely to actually to get close to a wolf, and if you do, more often than anything it will run. For much of Europe, humans are having to get used to living alongside them, having destroyed the population in the last few hundred years. But they are essential for a balanced ecosystem – i certainly hope that eventually they will return to this country.

As many as 38 subspecies are listed, and as we make contacts for people to see the wolves, we will add more subspecies. Some examples include the Eurasian wolf, the Indian wolf, the Iberian wolf and even the domestic dog. However, it was found that many of these interbred along their boundary suggesting they are more of a clade than a subspecies. As such, below i have split the wolf species into 2 groups, old and new world wolves. Each will have a page, thought these will remain relatively sparse until we start adding links for where you can see them. I should add (once again) that this is a page for subspecies of the grey wolf. Any closely related wolf like the Alonquin wolf (eastern wolf) or the red wolf have pages of their own, as they have been granted separate species status (as opposed to separate subspecies, which will be listed on this page)

There is a great thirst in our increasingly artificial lives, for people to experience the wild. It is true that many do this on safari in Africa, or on a whale watching trip, but the interest in seeing wolves in their native environment only grows as time goes by.

The wolf is an apex predator. By hunting in packs, they are able to take down much larger prey than they would be alone, though a number of different subspecies have given up this advantage to be able to survive in places where large prey is not available. Subspecies like the African wolf subsist on rats and birds and rabbits and species of similar size. They are incredibly intelligent (when trekking in the Romania mountains we saw the sign of recent visits by the wolves, in order to plan their attack on the vast sheep flocks which would be herded through this narrow valley, several months later) and can plan a significant distance into the future. The Ethiopian wolf (a species that is not a subspecies of the grey wolf, but closely related) hunts in a very similar way, but not being a subspecies of the grey wolf will not appear on this page (it has its own page, accessible from the wild dog page or click here). The domestic dog is a subspecies. The African wild dog, is a relation of the wolf, but is not a subspecies. It is thought that it last shared an ancestor with the wolf around 2 million years ago.

 

Below is an image of a range of  old world wolf subspecies. Each one will have a page devoted to it, and over time, we hope to list places to see each one in the wild. We rely on people who live alongside these animals to list places that people can see them (the whole purpose of this website is to create a wildlife travel marketplace, if you live somewhere wild, list it and make money while showing the world the amazing wildlife on your doorstep (if it is not a wolf, find your species – we wish long term to cater for all)

Old world grey wolf subspecies – Europe Asia Africa (note- the name of each has wolf after it – Iberian wolf etc. This does not apply to the last two). Below is a map of the rough range of the old world species

The Iberian wolf is a subspecies of the grey wolf found on the Iberian peninsular. It reached its minimum in the 1970s with 500-700 iindividuals living in the wild. Until the middle of the 19th century, it was widespread, throughout the Iberian peninsular. It should be noted, that wolves have never had high densities, and the wolves of western Europe are not thought to have ever had a population much above 848–26 774 (depending on which end of the estimate you rely – but is the founding population of both the Iberian and Apennine population).

They have been gradually spreading from their 1970s holdout – in a hunting reserve called the Sierra de Culebra which is a hunting reserve straddling the North eastern border of Portugal, and across the border in Spain. This reserve is fascinating, and may well be a good way to support wolves in other areas. There is significant belief that the wolf populations in Southern Spain is extinct, however, should the recovery of the Iberian wolf is allowed to continue, I could well see wolves re-settling these areas within the next couple of decades

They have in recent years, started to meet with Apennine wolves, who re-entered France back in 1991-1992, and settled in the  Pyrenees. The small pockets of wolves in Southern Spain are isolated and are certainly threatened long-term. The Iberian wolf had its last survey in 2021, and at that time the number of wolves was estimated at 2000-2500. It should be noted that in 2021 wolf hunting was banned in Spain – between 2008 and 2013, 623 Iberian wolves were hunted legally, and I think that it is fantastic that this has been banned. Having said that, it means that the wolf hunting number was around 5% of the wolves in the country each year. This is at a level which should allow the population to grow over time.

These wolves are fascinating to see in the wild (I have seen them and heard them), and the best way to make sure that they say in the wild is to go see them. They are fantastic for ecosystems, and are very exciting to see in the wild. As we add destinations, they will appear below.

The Apennine wolf is also known as the Italian wolf. Back in the 1970s the population reached its minimum, where the population reached 70-100 individuals. It has recovered well since then, with an Italian population of roughly 3300. However, since the early 1990s, this subspecies has been gradually moving into France. As such, at the end of 2022 the number was estimated at 1104 wolves in France.

The Italian wolf is considered the national animal of the country (at least by some) and features heavily in writings from across the history of the country (going back as far as the Roman empire). It was listed as a subspecies back in 1921, and the range almost exactly 100 years ago in 2019 is shown to the right. It should be noted, that wolf range is likely to have increased significantly in the 5 years that have run since this map was created.

The genetics of this subspecies suggests that it went through a genetic bottleneck in the last 20,000 or so year, and it is thought wolves were isolated south of the alps, and unable to exchange DNA with any other group of wolves. Now they have been able to move beyond the alps, this isolation appears to be over, and there are already couples breeding, which will improve the health of each population as a whole.  Keep an eye on the news box below which will list articles on this subspecies.

The Apennine wolf is found throughout  much of Italy, and an increasingly large parts of France, as well as even sections in Spain in the Pyrenees. There is much wilderness across its range, and as such there is likely space for a far larger population. It is also worth noting, that the deer population across Italy and France is higher than it has been for some time, and as such a recovered wolf population is likely to control these at more natural levels.

Never-the-less, there is much tourism in all of the range of the Apennine wolf. Any places that we have listed to see this wolf subspecies will appear below.

The Eurasian wolf (often referred to as the Russian wolf), is the subspecies which runs down the east coast of the Adriatic sea, as well as the majority of Russia and northern Europe. 

 It ranges through Scandinavia, the Caucasus, Russia, China, and Mongolia. Its habitat overlaps with the Indian wolf in some regions of Türkiye.

In South eastern Europe it is found in much of the countries in which it lives, but not throughout the area (its distribution is patchy, but relatively easy to move between areas where they are found). The numbers are thought to be roughly 3900 throughout this area.

Its Scandinavian population is not large, but it is thought to still be connected with its Russian population so there is no worry about genetic bottlenecks. Norway and Sweden are thought to have a population of around 450 in total. Around 80% of these are in Sweden, though this is by choice- despite the large area of Norway, they state than 95% of the country should remain wolf free, and the remaining area can only support 3 breeding pairs. This is not scientific but political and as such takes intensive culling each year. Finland has a current population of 300 which is the highest for a century, though modelling suggests a population under 500 is unlikely to remain healthy for long; though given the proximity of Finland to Russia, wolves are able to regularly interbreed across the border.

The Russian wolf population is the largest, and accounts for most of Russia’s wolves. The population was estimated at 40,000. They are hunted, but at the current time, their population appears to be pretty stable.

The Chinese population is 10,000-12,000, while Mongolia has 10,000-20,000

Although, the only subspecies to take the name Russian, Russia hosts a range of wolf subspecies. Also known as the Northern Asian subspecies. I have not found much information on this subspecies, but hope to add more soon as it becomes available.

In places like reserves, these wolves are seen relatively regularly. The reserve we visited a bear hide, has a permanent person looking after it, and he claimed he saw wolves about once a week. While this sub-species does not have a population growing particlarly fast, it is also not shrinking fast either.

We will aim to list places to see them below. Do get in touch if you have somewhere that you do see these wolves regularly, and would like to list your destination. Letting other people pay to see the wildlife that you see all the time, can help reward their ongoing survival as well as bringing in some money which can help you .

The Tundra wolf – Canis lupus Albus is the Eurasian equivalent of the Arctic wolf. Also known as the Turukhan wolf, it is native to Eurasia’s tundra and forest-tundra zones from Finland to the Kamchatka Peninsula. It was first described in 1792 by Robert Kerr.

The tundra wolf generally rests in river valleys, thickets and forest clearings. In winter it generally feeds on female or young wild and domestic reindeer, though smaller animals like hares, arctic foxes and other animals are sometimes taken. A survey of stomach contents of 74 wolves caught around Nenets Autonomous Okrug in the 1950s were found to consist of 93.1% reindeer remains. In the summer period, tundra wolves feed extensively on birds and small rodents, as well as newborn reindeer calves.

They are classed as least concern, and as can be seen, have a large range. There is no estimate of their numbers, but it is likely to be one of the more numerous in the world. (if anyone has further information do let me know). As yet, I have not written about the Tundra wolf – it is not easy to find information on it. However, as blogposts are written on this subspecies, they will appear below. It should be noted that when you look up Arctic or Tundra wolf, a number of webpages quote figures of 200,000

 

Indian wolf

The Indian wolf is one of the more well known, partly as their starring role in the Jungle book by Rudyard Kipling. I do remember my great grandmother talking about seeing 4 wolves running in the distance. It is thought to have 2000-3000 individuals left in the wild, though given its former large range, this does not appear very high. It should not be surprising, therefore, to hear that this is considered as one of the most endangered subspecies of the grey wolf – it officially has the conservation status of endangered – now it is considered endangered, and people talk about it at high risk, but it should be remembered that there are still 2000-3000, which is a pretty high number for a species considered more than just endangered.

It is found in arid and semi-arid peninsular plains of India, though from the distribution map to the right, you can see that much of its range is found outside India. The Indian wolf lives in smaller packs of 6-8. It has a reputation for cunning, and makes far less noises than other wolves, having very rarely been known to howl. As you can see from the map to the right, although called the Indian wolf, its range stretches far beyond the borders of India

It was described in 1831.

 

Also the most recently confirm subspecies of the wolf – the African wolf. The move onto the African continent has required a number of changes in behaviour, which makes it easily confused with Jackels, but the African wolf is indeed a wolf. It split from the wolf/coyote ancestor just over a million years ago. Previously, it was considered a subspecies of the Golden Jackal.

There are two genetically distinct populations, one in North-West Africa and the other in East Africa. It appears to be roughly 72% genetically grey wolf, with the rest coming from the Ethiopian wolf (while the Ethiopian wolf is considered a separate species, it is a closely related Canid).

It was only reidentified (having been originally identified in 1820) in 2015, so there is still much to be done, both in identifying size of population and variations of he population across Africa. Given the huge area that they are found in, it seems quite reasonable that there will be further splitting of the African wolf into separate subspecies (or merely populations, though given the huge distances between them we will have to wait and see) but we will find this out in time.

 

There has been little study of this species, and it is unclear exactly how much range that it has. Hopefully, this will happen in time, but it is clear that the big problem is telling the difference between golden jackals and golden wolves. 

 

 

African wolf range

There are a number of subspecies of the African wolf (quite quick, given it was not redeclared as a species 6 years ago. They are classed as a least concern. While not all sub-species have a clear estimate of the current population, genetic analysis suggests that the historic population was not smaller than 80,000 females.

 

  • Algerian wolf – range Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia -A dark-coloured subspecies, with a tail marked with three dusky rings. It is similar in size to the red fox
  • Senegalese wolf – Senegal – Similar to the Egyptian wolf, but smaller and more lightly built, with paler fur and a sharper muzzle.
  • Serengeti wolf – Kenya, northern Tanzania – Smaller and lighter-coloured than the northern forms. The wild population is 1500-2000
  • Egyptian wolf – Egypt, Algeria, Mali, Ethiopian Highlands, and Senegal – A large, stoutly built subspecies with proportionately short ears and presenting a very gray wolf-like phenotype, standing 40.6 cm in shoulder height and 127 cm in body length. The upper parts are yellowish-gray tinged with black, while the muzzle, the ears and the outer surfaces of the limbs are reddish-yellow. The fur around the mouth is white.
  • Somali wolf – Somalia and the coast of Ethiopia and Eritrea – A dwarf subspecies measuring only 12 inches in shoulder height, it is generally of a grayish-yellow color, mingled with only a small proportion of black. The muzzle and legs are more decidedly yellow, and the underparts are white.
  • Variegated wolf – Sudan and Somalia – A small subspecies standing 38 cm (15 in) at the shoulder, and measuring 102 cm (40 in) in length. The fur is generally pale stone-buff, with blotches of black.
Steppe wolf or caspian sea wolf user Mariomassone Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported

The Steppe wolf also known as the Caspian sea wolf is a wolf subspecies that is found in the region around the Caspian sea, though the Steppe wolf is perhaps more useful a name as it extends far from the Caspian sea. Much of its range is in Kazakhstan as the working figure is 30,000 individuals, however, the survey which produced this number was completed in 2007, and given the lack of any protection and the widespread enjoyment, got from hunting wolves, it seems highly unlikely that the current population is anywhere near that size. 

As you can see from the map, its range is largely split between Kazakhstan and and teh western end of russia.

The Arabian wolf is found sporadically around the edge of the Arabian peninsular, with a total population of 1000-3000. The Arabian wolf was once found throughout the Arabian Peninsula, but now lives only in small pockets in 

  • Southern Israel: 100-150 live over the Negev and the Ha’arava. While harassing or killing wolves is prohibited, there is no compensation for livestock losses, meaning retaliation kills are more likely (80-100 Indian wolves are also found in the north of the country – Carmel, Galilee, and Golan Heights)
  • Palestine: possibly merely sharing the population numbers above (few surveys due to issue with getting in there). Both Arabian and Indian wolves are present.
  • Southern and western Kuwait: A significant amount of illegal killing, and having gone on for some time. It is thought that it is locally extinct, though with its continued presence in surrounding countries, it could return on its own.
  • Oman- wolves still exist in parts of the country, including the valley of the wolves (video below this text box). While surveys are rare, an Oryx survey between 1991 and 1997 encountered wolves on 17 occasions. Hunting was banned in recent years, and the wolf has increased since then. There is hope that the wolf will fully recover without help.
  • Yemen
  • Syria: the wolf is unprotected, and while there are no recent surveys, it is thought that around 200 wolves survive (no compensation is paid for lost of livestock).
  • Lebenon has around 50 wolves, though they have no legal protection and there is no livestock damage compensation
  • Jordan has 200 wolves, though little or nothing is known about them, including whether the population is growing or shrinking.
  • Saudi Arabia: hosting between 300 and 600  wolves, there is no protection and no livestock damage compensation
  • Parts of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt are thought to host small numbers of wolves
  • UAE the wolf is currently listed as extinct
 Bahrain and other countries in the region are not thought to have wolves at the current time. Having said this, the range of the Arabian wolf is not large and in other places wolves have dispersd thousands of miles, so it is essential that the other countries in the area and set up to allow wolves to return if this happens.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

There is wolf tourism in a variety of places across the middle east, but merely expressing interest in them could well show locals their potential value.

Should you live in an Arabian wolf range area and would like to be able to show visitors these fascinating animals (and get paid for the privilege, do get in touch, we are eager to work with people on the ground. Below is a list of any articles from the website that mention this species, below that is a video of this species in the wild.

The range of the Himalayan wolf is shown in pink

The Himalayan wolf (scientifically known as Canis lupus chanco) is a member of the dog family, whose position is debated. Its genes show it is  genetically basal to the Holarctic grey wolf, genetically the same wolf as the Tibetan and Mongolian wolf, and has an association with the African wolf (Canis lupaster). No striking morphological differences are seen between the wolves from the Himalayas and those from Tibet. The Himalayan wolf lineage can be found living in Ladakh in the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, and the mountains of Central Asia predominantly above 4,000m  in elevation because it has adapted to a low-oxygen environment, compared with other wolves that are found only at lower elevations.

Some experts have suggested that this subspecies is so different to other wolves, that it should be listed as a separate species. In 2019, a workshop hosted by the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group noted that the Himalayan wolf’s distribution included the Himalayan range and the Tibetan Plateau. The group recommends that this wolf lineage be known as the “Himalayan wolf” and be classified as Canis lupus chanco until a genetic analysis of the holotypes is available. The Himalayan wolf lacks a proper morphological analysis. The wolves in India and Nepal are listed on CITES Appendix I as endangered due to international trade.

The Himalayan wolf is found in the Himalayan region encompassing India, Nepal and the Tibetan Plateau of Western China. The IUCN report noted that only 2,275 to 3,792 individuals of the Himalayan wolf (Canis lupus chanco) are left in the wild.

 The Mongolian wolf (Canis lupus chanco) is not restricted to just Mongolia, but is found in a range of countries in the area as well (see the map to the right for more information). For reference, the blue is the Mongolian wolf range, while the pink is the Himalayan wolf range.

Generally, there is little fear of the Mongolian wolf, and while they do occasionally take livestock they are not persecuted. There is a harvesting of wolf pelts but this is currently done at a sustainable level.

They are considered endangered; they are classed as endangered, with a Mongolian population of 10,000-20,000. I have been unable to identify an overall number for the population.

The new guinea singing dog (also known as the New Guinea highland dog, it is restricted to the highlands of New Guinea. There are a number of different possible names, and places where it fits into the dog family as its taxonomic status is debated, with proposals that include treating it within the species concept (range of variation) of the domestic dog Canis familiaris, a distinct species Canis hallstromi, and Canis lupus dingo when considered a subspecies of the wolf.

Rare amongst canines, it is incapable of barking, instead making an odd yodelling sound, which gives rise to its name.

 

Genetic analysis suggests that this subspecies is descended from multiple different wolf subspecies. However, it is still debated, though an IUCN workshop in 2019 came to the conclusion that both the singing dogs and the dingo to be populations of the domestic dog, and therefore not needing of protection, or needing to be listed on the IUCN red list.

Oddly, this species was thought to have gone extinct in the wild in 1970 and it was only in 2020 that several wild dogs were genetically tested and found to be this species. Still surviving in captivity, it was a big shock to find them living at heights of over 4km high.

The IUCN will not list them, as it considers them a domestic dog breed, but if this is the case, they are still of interest as they appear frozen in time – a so called “proto domestic dog”. There are around 100 animals in zoos and as domestic exotic pets, but these all originate from around 8 wild members, which means that there is little genetic diversity – leading to possible infertility.

In 2012, a tourist took a photo of an animal which looked suspiciously like the singing dog – taken in a remote mountainous area of New Guinea. When the photo found its way to a certain person, who had been running a program to find it since 1996. McIntyre, the leader of this project, launched a trip to the area and set up many camera traps. Oddly, while some tracks were found, no animals were seen until the last day when a whole pack walked in front of one of the camera traps. While they looked exactly as required, recognizing it would take more than photos to resurrect the singing dog from the dead, he mounted a second trip to the area and set out traps – he caught 2 males, and after taking blood and attaching tracking collars he released them.

After testing against captive singing dogs, it was found to have come from a fully diverse group of wild singing dogs. Some other researchers did suggest that no-one believed these animals to be dead (having found scat on a trip) but there we are.

Might this species be alive and thriving in remote parts of New Guinea? I will hope to write on it in the future – do get in touch if you have information on this fascinating species.

Closely related to the new Guinea singing dog, the Dingo is a dog species that has a relatively wide range. There is some debate about how it got to some of its homes, and whether it may have come alongside early humans.

The earliest remains of Dingoes in Australia are dated to almost 3500 years ago, While they are now quite happy living alone or alongside humans, it seems that this may be the descendant of early domestic dogs. Interestingly, both genetically and in body shape, these dogs do not appear to have changed much in the 3450 years that they are known to have been in Australia, suggesting a high level of self determination in choice of mate, as opposed to what might have happened with human lead selective breeding. It should be noted that it is thought it arrived far earlier than these earliest remains, with studies suggsting that a sensible arrival date was around 8300 years ago

Given that they have now been on the continent for likely well over 3000 years, it is quite likely that they have done whatever damage that their arrival might cause, and so they are to all intents and purposes a native Australian species.

There is not a particularly strong estimate in the number of Dingoes currently living wild, but it is thought to be between 10,000 and 50,000. Recent genetic studies have shown that over half of the dingoes are pure dingo, with no dog ancestry – putting paid to some attempts to suggest that they are little more than feral dogs, which would make their culling far easier to agree to.

Fraser island, off the coast of Queensland is one of the best places to see the dingo, though there are plenty of other places to head. We hope to add many in the near future, do help us get there.

New world wolf subspecies- until recently, as many as 38 wolf subspecies were recognized in North America. The current agreement is that there is just 4-6 (it should be noted that while it has been a debate for over a century, the current agreement is that the red wolf is a separate species and not a subspecies of the grey wolf). 

Wolves in the USA have been heavily persecuted since Europeans arrived on the continent, and as such in 1967 when they reached their minimum, there were only around 1550 individuals left. The map below shows where they still range.

Thankfully, given that most wolf subspecies has range outside the USA, we still have all of these subspecies (though the health of their population varies from subspecies to subspecies – we will cover this below in each one in turn.

The Trump administration gave the handling of the wolf population over to the states. While some took this responsibility seriously, others allowed the wolf to be all but exterminated once again.

This listing includes 5 of these subspecies, I may add or remove one as further evidence is found.

It should be noted that this image shows the layout of the wolf subspecies in north America, it does not show their current range. I have included a link to our red wolf page, it should be noted that the red wolf is not a subspecies of the grey wolf, it is a separate species which appears to be a hybrid between wolves and coyotes but split from grey wolves long in the past

Scientifically known as Canis lupus Arctus, some question the Arctic wolf classification as a subspecies, and it is certainly clear that it is only recently that wolves moved up from North America. Recent researchers have found that the Arctic wolves have no unique haplotypes (group of unique genes inherited from one parent) and that as such, they do not warrant the subspecies status, and are actually just north American wolves.

One thing to note, is that they are listed as data deficient in terms of population size, though even so, it is listed as least concern – having said this, there are clear threats. In 1997, there was a decline in the Arctic wolf population and its prey, muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus), and Arctic hares (Lepus arcticus). This was due to unfavourable weather conditions during the summers for four years. Arctic wolf populations recovered the next summer when weather conditions returned to normal. It is unclear where the information came from, but a very large number of websites list this animal as having a population of around 200,000 individuals. Given the global population of wolves is only thought to be around 200,000-250,000, there is no way that the Arctic population can be anywhere near this number. A reduction in the number of Musk ox, in recent years did also cause a decline in the Arctic wolf population. 

Although quite rightly considered apex predators, polar bears will on occasion hunt arctic wolves.

While listed as least concern, they are only relatively common in Alaska where there is plenty of food. Elsewhere they are very rare. Below will show a list of any articles written on this subject. If there is anyone who is interested in writing about this species (a researcher or similar) we would be fascinated to hear, while I will endeavour to write, I have found that there is little information on this highly specialized wolf subspecies.

Click here to watch a program on this subspecies called “Following the Tundra wolf”. Unfortunately certain names are used interchangeably – here they are not talking about the Tundra wolf, but the Arctic wolf, confusingly sometimes known as the tundra wolf

Mexican wolves (scientific name is Canis lupus baileyi) are currently only found in a small area as seen on the map to the right. It is a fantastic improvement on the situation around 1970 when the species was extinct in the wild. The first reintroduction was carried out in 1998. Unfortunately, founded by just 7 individuals, the population is highly inbred. Never-the-less, currently, the USA has 257 wild Mexican wolves, while 57 live across the border in Mexico, up from just 11 that were reintroduced into the wild. A further 380 are in captivity. 

As always with small populations, hybridization is a big threat. Both coyotes and other wolf subspecies can interbreed, and overlap territory in places.

If you visit an area where these wolves live, paying to do some wolf watching is the best way to support this subspecies long-term survival. If you have anything that will help with this, do click on list your wild place at the top of the page, so we can help people find you.

Tourism is one of the easiest ways to fund conservation projects, and while this species is currently not in danger, it certainly needs help to come back from its near extinction. 314 is a great population when compared to zero, but it is also a terrible one compared to the population that might exist werein not for human persecution.

The Great Plains wolf (scientific name is Canis lupus nubilus), alternatively known as the buffalo wolf or loafer, is a subspecies of gray wolf that once extended throughout the Great Plains, from southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada southward to northern Texas in the United States. The subspecies was thought to be extinct in 1926, until studies declared that its descendants were found in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. They were described as a large, light-colored wolf but with black and white varying between individual wolves, with some all white or all black. The Native Americans of North Dakota told of how only three Great Plains wolves could bring down any sized bison. 

First, described in 1828, it was thought to have been hunted to extinction in 1926, until studies declared that its descendants were found in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. However, later studies found wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Upper Michigan that were descendants of Canis lupus nubilus. Even then, their number became fewer and fewer until they were federally protected as an endangered species in 1974 (this is the same as all wolves living in the USA). Since then, their population became larger in the Great Lakes region and by 2009, their estimate grew to 2,992 wolves in Minnesota, 580 in Michigan and 626 in Wisconsin. Given the USA has a wolf popluation of 14,000-18000, a population of 4000 great plains wolves is actually significant (and more than 10 times the total population of the Mexican wolf).

Provided there is not a non-scientific return to hunting in the USA, it seems likely that they are safe for the future.

The North-western wolf (scientific name is Canis lupus occidentalis), is also known as the Mackenzie Valley wolf, Alaskan timber wolf,  Canadian timber wolf or the Northern timber wolf. Arguably the largest gray wolf subspecies in the world, it ranges from Alaska, the upper Mackenzie River Valley; southward throughout the western Canadian provinces, aside from prairie landscapes in its southern portions, as well as the North-western United States. The subspecies was first described in 1829 by Scottish naturalist Sir John Richardson. He chose to give it the name occidentalis in reference to its geographic location rather than label it by its color, as it was too variable so a colour referencing name would apply to not many of the wolves in question.

According to one source, phylogenetic analyses of North American gray wolves show that there are three clades corresponding to north-western wolf, Mexican and great plains, each one representing a separate invasion into North America from distinct Eurasian ancestors. The north-western wolf, the most north-western subspecies, is descended from the last gray wolves to colonize North America. It likely crossed into North America through the Bering land bridge after the last ice age, displacing great plains wolf populations as it advanced, a process which has continued until present times. Along with great plains wolves, north-western wolves are the most widespread member of the four gray wolf subspecies in North America, with at least six different names that it goes by (I named 3 of the at the start of this article).

Currently classed as “apparently secure” (one step down from secure) , this is the subspecies that was reintroduced into Yellowstone, and has since spread to the surrounding region. Many would argue that this is the largest subspecies of wolf in the world. Unfortunately this is another subspecies, where accurate population estimates are not forthcoming.

This suggested subspecies has been in recent times, lifted to its own species status – as such I have listed it in its own species status. You can find this species on the canine page, but to look at its page now, click here

It needs to be remembered, that the red wolf is its own species (with its own subspecies). It is a close relation of the grey wolf. Click here to jump to the red wolf page

Why are wolves so fascinating?

  • Is it just their incredible level of intelligence?
  • Their incredible attachment to each other, and the care that they show, in feeding the young, as well as the old and frail.
  • Might it be a throw-back to the time when wolves were a great threat to livestock in the last few millennia
  • Might instead, it be a greater throwback to the time when wolves and humans hunted together – a likely way that wolves started to become the domestic dogs, that we share our houses with.
  • Or perhaps, it is simply the spine-tingling thrill to have an encounter with an animal that makes the whole natural world where it lives, quake by its howls. Whatever, it is, there are a wide range of destinations across a great swarth of the world, looking to spend an evening with a local guide, trying to see them, gives them value. If everyone traveling to wolf areas were to pay to spend one evening during their stay looking at the local wolves, it would likely secure virtually all wolf populations across the world (there would be far more money in eco tourism than in hunting in almost all places – even in old hunting reserves like the Sierra de Culebra, there is far more to be made from eco-tourism than in hunting the 10 wolves a year that the reserve can support.
The only destination that we currently have listed, is the Sweden bear-hide,  but please get in touch – whether you live in an area where wolves live, work in hospitality or wildlife guiding in the same areas, we want to help people find you – As with everything on this site, we take a small cut of income so should we find you no customers, it costs you nothing. Click on list your wild place, to get in touch or to build your page – it is very simple and will only take a few minutes.
 
We are eager to make this work – we want to make it so that living in the shadow of wildlife is capable of making people in these places more than they loose from the animals themselves (predation, threat to life and damage to property)

To jump back to the dog family tree species, click here

White Rhino

White rhino

In Africa there has been horrible decline of rhinos. The northern white rhino was as recent as 1960 still living in numbers over 2000. Found through  Chad, the Central African Republic, South-western Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and North-western Uganda. Unfortunately this population has since crashed, and while they are not yet extinct there are so few left it is unlikely to recover. Embryos have been frozen in the hope that in the near future Southern white rhinos could host these.

Unfortunately, while the southern white rhino is doing far better with 18,000 (only a 12% decline in the last decade) it is not healthy and at the rate that poaching has occurred it’s not inconceivable that this population could be largely poached out of existence in a decade. In 2021, 457 rhinos were poached in South Africa with 77 lost from the Kruger. While this is horrific, it would suggest that Kruger is finally managing to protect its rhinos more effectively. Currently only 30% of Southern white rhino live in Kruger, which in the past this percentage was far higher (as high as 80-90%). Hopefully in the future rhino poaching will go back to being a thing of the past – while Kruger has the space, it cannot stop hundreds of determined poachers, while smaller reserves can do this more easily.

In the early 1900s, the Southern white rhino population fell to 50-100, thankfully this direction changed with (they are hoping) in August this year. The problem remains, that despite it having no medicinal benefit, if a rhino horn is valuable then people living near the breadline in the surrounding area will look on it with envy. Even if locals do not do it, it is worthwhile for criminal gangs. At the moment, white rhino horn can be sold for around $60,000 per pound, and an average white rhino horn weighs just short of 9 pounds. This means that each white rhino has half a million dollars attached to its nose. 

One important thing to note, is that the name white rhino does not come from the colour of its skin. Indeed, with a white and a black rhino standing next to each other it would be hard to notice a difference in the colour of the skin. Instead, it gets its name from the afrikaans word weit which means wide – the white rhino has a wide mouth for grazing, while the black rhino has a pointed mouth for browsing.

Either place gives you a good chance to see rhino in their home.

As time passes, we hope to add more destinations for each species. There is a list of all articles on this species below the destinations available.

Note:  to look at the rest of the rhino family click here

Limpopo Transfrontier park including Kruger sabi sands and other conservation areas
Greater Serengeti

Leopard

African Leopard
Indian leopard
javan leopard
Arabian leopard
Persian (or Caucasian) Leopard
indochinese leopard
Sri Lankan leopard
Amur leopard
indochinese leopard

Leopard

Leopards are one of the so called big 5 of Africa (big game hunting) and are often an animal that people are really keen to see).Looking beautiful when we manage to spot it, its look is specifically such that allows it to blend into the shadows, making it as hard to see in the dappled light that is filtering through the leaves of a tree. Leopard populations have declined by at least 25% in Africa over the last 30 years.

Leopards were once found from western Turkey all the way to the far East of Russia, and are still found from the southern tip of Africa to the frozen lands of northern Siberia. What is incredible, is that its yellow and black coat is a good camouflage through an incredibly wide range of habitats, from snow, desert, rainforest and Savannah. It should be noted, that in the rainforests of the Malaysian Peninsular as much as 50% of the population is made up by black or melanistic leopards, seemingly because in the deep shadow of the rainforest there is a large example of this. As well as covering leopards, we will cover the subspecies (there are nine recognized subspecies of leopards including African, Indian, Javan, Arabian, Amur, North Chinese, Caucasian (also called Persian), Indochinese and Sri Lankan). Given the huge area of the planet where Leopards live, it is not surprising that there are this many subspecies.

Given the wide range of leopard habitats they differ in size very dramatically. It is also obviously true that their conservation status is that a variety of different levels. As search I will try to cover as many of these different habitats and subspecies as possible (over time).

Due to their habit of staying in cover, it is far harder to get an accurate idea of how many leopards are left, but below I will attempt to do that.

Kruger, the Serengeti, south Luangwa all have around 1000 leopards. Indeed it is even thought that the population of cape leopards, scattered across the western cape is around this number of 1000.

It is certainly true that Leopards are a far harder thing to see when you are in the bush, however with perseverance and some night drives, you should get at least a couple leopard sightings on a safari holiday.

Below we will list the currently recognized subspecies of leopard. We hope in the future to have links to places where you can see each of these. Each of these will appear within its page, access them by clicking on the tabs

Leopard subspecies pages

African Leopard

50 years ago, Africa was estimated to have 700,000 the current number is nearer to 50,000 (the 700,000 figure came from a study in 1988, estimates vary widely, when I have written all my African leopard pages, I will give an estimate based on all the country estimates (it should be noted, however that this may be no more accurate). This is not evenly spread, such that while 34 countries are thought to still host them. It should be noted, that the so called Barbary leopard is included in this subspecies. While there is still much debate (not least the suggestion that the Sahara might have stopped gene from from the Barbary region to the rest of Africa. In a similar way, there is discussion on a variety of different populations of leopards, but these will not get their own tab, until they are declared as recognized subspecies (there was, at one time as many as 37 claimed different subspecies of leopard spread across Africa and Asia, many were lost, when the genetic differences were found to be so small).

Now, obviously, the decline from 700,000 leopards to just 50,000 has been substantial, which suggests a potential for recovery, however the majority of these would have roamed outside protected lands, and with an increased population (the human population has tripled in the last 50 years, from just over 400 million to over 1.2 billion in the same time. As such, much wilderness has been lost to human habitation and crop growing. As you can see, Leopards have declined a great deal more, around the edge of the Sahara, than anywhere else. It should be noted, that many range maps cover the majority of sub-Saharan Africa as Leopard range, when this is clearly not the case.

It is listed as Vulnerable by CITES with a current population of estimated 50,000. Its decline and future threats come down to a number of issues:

  1. African Leopard have suffered from habitat loss and fragmentation, increased illegal wildlife trade, decline in prey and poorly managed trophy hunting.
  2. Prey species are increasingly under threat as a result of the  unsustainable human bushmeat trade across large parts of Africa’s savannas (if we eat the leopards prey, then they cannot). Leopards are also killed illegally for their widely sought-after skins and other body parts used for ceremonial purposes.
  3. African Leopard have limited levels of ecological resilience to human-caused habitat fragmentation, and as a result are more restricted to conservation areas – future decline is anticipated unless conservation efforts are undertaken. Being apex predators they each need quite some space (even in good habitat, at least 5 square miles) and a viable population is usually considered at least 100 animals, many protected areas are too small, requiring Leopards to leave the reserve and cross the human landscape in order to reach others.
While in theory, hunting areas (where these Leopards can be shot for sport) are well managed and large enough to have self-sustaining populations, this is not always the case. Zambia and South Africa have both banned hunting in recent years, but before this, there were a number of hunting areas that bordered places like the Kruger, then when the leopard crosses a line it can be shot.  The ban in South Africa only lasted 2 years, between 2016 and 2018, however, at the moment South Africa is only allowed to hunt 150 per years, which is unlikely to effect the population. Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Mozambique all still have hunting operations, but these vary in how safe the population is. Apart from the 2 destinations at the top of the page, a longer list is coming, which will be at the bottom of the page.

The largest leopard populations include:

South Luangwa and the Southern KAZA tranfrontier park are both areas of Zambia, that are particularly good for wild Leopards;

Despite the continuing loss of lions, large parts of Kenya still have impressively high densities of leopards (as high as 1 every 3 square miles), though the fact that in many of these areas, there are no lions, it is perhaps not surprising that the leopard is more common.

Other protected areas with leopard populations include: Taï National Park (Ivory coast), Etosha National Park (Namibia), Virunga National Park (democratic republic of the Congo, and Kruger National Park (South Africa). 

Indeed, virtually the only natural habitat which leopards do not live in is very sandy deserts.
Given the complexity and range of this subspecies of Leopard, I will deal with each country in turn

 

      • Limpopo transfrontier park 1000 (Kruger national park and Sabi Sands, as well as other smaller private and public reserves)
      • Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park 150
      • Western province (western cape) is thought to have 500, while the eastern province is thought to have 400 (Eastern Cape) these two populations are often jointly referred to as the Cape leopard. The Cape leopard is named after the Cape Fold Mountains in South Africa, where they are mainly found. They are smaller and lighter than other leopards, and prefer mountainous areas. They are also more threatened than other leopards due to habitat limitations and urbanization. 
      • I believe that it could reasonably be argued that a further 1000 or at a stretch 2000 might live in small reserves which are scattered  across the country       

That gets us to a very generous estimate of 4000. Official population estimates range between 2813-11632 (hard to give credibility to the upper estimate). However, it would suggest that there is a great deal of space for this population to recover.

The current best estimate of the Leopard population found in Botswana is thought to be around 4295, though this estimates suggests as high as 6700 and as low as 1893.

  • Chobe national park and the Okovango delta are both part of the KAZA transfrontier park, a vast mosaic of protected areas. These have healthy populations of the Leopard, as well as many other animals
  • Nxai pan and Makgadikgadi par are also in the southern reaches of this vast area. As such the upper estimate is certainly possible, though the area still needs some recovery.
  • Moremi Game Reserve
  • Savuti and Mashatu Game Reserve
  • Various private reserves also have high populations (I will hope to add many of these here) many of the private reserves are on the edge of public reserves so will have their leopard populations counted with the rest of their ecosystem.

In 2019 they estimated 11,733 though this was down from 14154 in just 2011. There are a variety of both reserves and national parks to visit in this country. We would love to list some, do get in touch.

Reserves, known to be good for Leopard in Namibia, include:

  • Okonjima Nature Reserve
  • Etosha National Park
  • Caprivi Strip

 

Leopards in Zimbabwe are thought to be doing relatively well with a population of 1200-2000. Zimbabwe is relatively lucky in its placement, as it has protected land connected to both the Limpopo transfrontier park (Gonarhezou national park) and the KAZA transfrontier park (Hwange National Park), which means that even if all leopards in Zimbabwe were to be killed, they would likely continue to enter.

Other destinations include

  • Mana Pools National Park
  • Matusadona National Park

Leopards are scattered throughout Mozambique, but they are locally extinct in areas with a lot of development. In 1988 a study estimated the size of the leopard population at over 37000. If this was accurate, it has not stayed this high. The fact that there is so little information about surveys is particularly suspicious, as much leopard hunting goes on within the country – it is quite possible that the hunting quotas are still being calculated on the basis of numbers vastly greater than they should be

Good places to see the leopard in Mozambique include:

  • Limpopo national park (a part of the Limpopo transfrontier park)
  • Gorongosa National Park
  •  Zinave National Park (the video above is of a scheme to reintroduce leopard into this park)
It should be noted, that both the second and third destination on this list, is places where leopards have been reintroduced in recent times.
  • Kafue national park: a hotspot in Zambia, though population estimates are hard to find
  • South Luangwa national park, a part of the Kaza transfrontier park is also thought to be good for leopards
  • Lower zambezi national park
  •  

Leopards are not uncommon in Malawi, though outside protected areas, they are less common. I have not found good video of the Leopard in Malawi, I may add one in the future.

  • Nyika National Park: thought to host the countries only viable population
  • Majete Wildlife Reserve: Leopards have been moved here, as an effort to restock the area (this started in 2011, before which no leopards had lived in the area for at lest 2 decades)
  • Mangochi Forest Reserve: while not known to host leopards, a camera trap has photographed an individual. Clearly it must have migrated into the area, but whether it will ever find a mate naturally (or indeed one get moved into the area, is anyones guess)

While the overall number of leopards are not clear (and there do not appear to be widely available population estimates, the places listed below are thought to still have good numbers of leopards.

    • Iona National Park
      A park that shares a border with Skeleton Coast National Park in Namibia. It’s home to a variety of animals, including leopards, cheetahs, and Angolan giraffes. 
    • Bicuar
      A region known for its wildlife, including leopards, African wild dogs, and spotted hyenas
    Having said all at the top, it is said, that it is likely that there are plenty of leopards, but it would be very hard to confirm this
     
     
     
 

Places in Tanzania which are recognized as having decent leopard populations include:

      • Serengeti National park                                        1000
      • Nyerere national park (formerly Selous)      4000  
      • Ruaha National park                                               4000
      • Ngorogoro and ecosystem                                 1000
Hunting areas are estimated at 300,000 square km, and Leopards are thought to live in these areas, but their density ranges from 0.1 to 30 per 100km  over this same area. This means that hunting zones can add anything from 300 leopards up to 9000. This gives Tanzania a leopard population somewhere in the range between 10,000 and 19,000. I mention this, because in other parts of Africa hunting blocks have been hired by those wanting to run photography safaris, as a result, it should be recognized that regular safaris by those who can afford them, are likely to increase the amount of land given over to preservation of a variety of species.
  • Massai mara: only around 30 resident Leopards in the area (this is considered as healthy for the reserve)
  • Tsavo is a huge and relatively healthy wilderness area, suggesting that there should be a relatively large leopard population, certainly hundreds perhaps more
  • Samburu, while not large, it is considered one of the best places to film Leopards
  • Amboselli: few Leopards within the park, but conservancies in the area are good.
  • Ol Pejete Conservancy hosts around 20 Leopards.
  • Other destinations include: Marsabit National Park, Nasolot National Park, Mwingi National Park, Kora National Park, Lewa Wildife Conservancy, Meru National Park, Mwea National Reserve, Bisanadi National Park and Simba Hills National Park
 
As recently as 1981, the leopard population of this country alone, was estimated at 12-18000. We hope to greatly increase the number of destinations we list, do add yours, we would love to help people find you. Click on list your wild place at the top of the home page (or Here). If anyone has better numbers for the Leopard in Kenya, do let me know

All studies suggest that leopards are common throughout the forests and savannahs of the DRC, though accurate estimates for how big this population is, are not easy to come by (and would likely have very wide error bars). Leopards, are very hard to view when in a rainforest ecosystem, which means that while there is likely a large and healthy leopard population, it is hard to actually view them as a tourist. The above video is taken from a camera trap, placed in the Okapi national park, a highly forested area.

The most reliable estimate is from 1987, when it was predicted that there was 4000 individuals. It is likely to have reduced since then, but how many there actually are is a big question, though more recent submissions, by hunting groups wanting a quota for leopards, suggested 2700, a significant fall of roughly 33% (though over the 37 years, this is lower than declines in other populations).

The above video, is a short documentary by a local man, both showing leopards in Uganda and giving information on where they are found.

Leopards are hard to see in Rwanda. Akagera national park is a savannah park, which hosts the big 5. It is estimated that just 15-20 leopards live within this park. Given that the park is a little over 1000 square km (400 square miles) leopards are by no means common even here.

Browsing around many pages about Rwanda, an alarming number claim that the leopard is extinct in the rest of the country. Given the fact that leopards are just as at home within rainforest as savannah (many suggest that leopard densities are the same across each habitat), and the fact that there are a variety of transfrontier conservations like the Virungas (and the Volcanoes national park across the border in Rwanda) exist, and that leopards are common in many of these reserves across the border, it seems hard to believe that there are not leopards living in the Rwanda forests. Never-the-less, it is also true, that humans are the apex predator, and that lions and other big cats like leopards, are well aware of this, and so generally steer clear of humans on foot (oddly, in many national parks, leopards can become very relaxed about people in cars, allowing (on occasion) a car to sit within mere meters)).

However, this clearly means that while leopards are found in forests, they will quite naturally not regularly be seen – the sound of humans walking carries far and wide, and gives the leopard time to disappear (and after all, leopards are the king of camouflage and therefore often only have to go a few meters into the undergrowth and freeze.

So what is the situation with leopard conservation in Rwanda? I will look out for news, and we hope to list articles that are relevant in the future, on these pages

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Leopards are found in a variety of habitats, including rainforests, savannas, deserts, and mountainous areas. They are one of the most adaptable wild cat species, but their distribution has decreased due to poaching and habitat loss. 

A leopard was reportedly seen pursuing a large western lowland gorilla in the Dzanga-Sangha Complex of Protected Areas, but was unable to catch it. Gorilla parts were found in leopard scat, which suggests that the leopard either killed or scavenged on the gorilla.

There are few videos of leopards in the republic of the Congo , so the video below is the only one I have been found. Click on the watch on youtube to be able to see it, before coming back here.

Leopards are found in rainforests living at densities similar to the highest in savannah ecosystems. Having said this, they are generally hard to view, as they hear humans long before humans can see, and are scared of humans (it is not natural behaviour for leopards to hunt humans though in places we are invading their spaces too much and changing this).

  • Batéké Plateau National Park
  • Ivindo National Park
  • Loango National Park

All three of these national parks have sizable populations of wild leopards, that are seen from time to time. However, the same rules apply as elsewhere – leopards are not apex predators, humans are which means that generally a leopards natural reaction to hearing leopards approaching, is to flee. Having said this, each of these national parks have areas of open land, either Bai or beaches (loango) which allows you to watch forest leopards out in the open (with luck, and forest leopards like all leopards are very wary).

Spotting leopards within equatorial guinea is very hard. This is because, despite there being a large number (they have even left the wild and started to live in suburbs in various places). Never-the-less, they are encountered, and more often than one might think.

Leopards are found throughout much of Cameroon, but as with other forest countries are rarely seen.

  • Campo Ma’an Conservation Area has seen the return of the leopard, after an absence of around 20 years. There are plans to put out many cameras, in order to try to keep an eye on these leopards as they return.

Leopards are thought to survive in all of south sudans reserves and national parks, however, they are shy and rarely see.

Leopards are thought to live in many of the countries reserves, though are little seen

Leopards are thought to still exist in the south of the country, in reserves which are close to reserves across the border. Whether these leopards are being left alone, or are regularly hunted is a different matter. It is likely that they are not encountered very regularly

Leopards are found in Ethiopia in a variety of habitats, including montane forests, semi-arid areas, and the Awash and Aledeghi regions:

Leopards in the highlands depend on the Afroalpine ecosystem’s montane forests.
Leopards can be found in the Harenna Forest, which is also home to melanistic leopards (black). They can also frequently seen in the Awash and Aledeghi regions.

Indian Leopard

The number of Indian leopards in the wild is a worryingly low number. Some places suggest around 9500, while others suggest 12,000-14,000 (remember that the area of India is 10% of Africa, so this is far better by area.

The Indian leopard is considered Vulnerable in India, Bhutan, and Nepal but Critically Endangered in Pakistan. The map to the right shows its current range.

We currently have no places listed to see this subspecies, but we hope to add some soon. Do list your site, if you run one (click here, or at the top of the page).

Below here, you will find any news that mention this species. Below that is a video of this species in the wild, and below that you will find any destinations that we have added, to help you plan your trip.

They have an estimated population of 13,874 within the huge country of India, though around 2/3 of these leopards live outside protected reserves, leaving them vulnerable to changes in attitudes, and often unavailable for tourists to see (though we hope in the long run, to change this with the use of “in the shadow of mankind” our section aimed at tourism for these animals) aiming to give them a financial value and therefore make it more likely that they will survive.

Protected areas within India, known to be good for leopards are listed below (we are eager to link with anyone working in these areas)

  • Jhalana Leopard Safari Park (known for its particularly large leopard population)
  • Jawai Leopard Reserve
  • Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Satpura National Park
  • Bandipur National Park
  • Nagarhole National Park
  • Nagarhole National Park
I hope to add more to this, in the future. Do help.

 

The documentary above comes from the national geographic channel though is fronted by Gordan Buchanan of BBC fame. It is unfortunately a fact that leopards can turn to eating humans, when there is not enough natural prey, or if they are given too little space (or indeed regularly meeting people as they invade its space). Unfortunately, all three is happening in many parts of India, and as such, there are places where leopards have started hunting humans. It is unfortunately, usually true, that once a big cat starts hunting humans, they will not stop. As such, what has often happened is either the animals in question are hunted down and killed (while a problem with small populations, if this does not happen, often the local human population will attempt to hunt and kill all of the population).

Leopards are thought to be widely spread in Nepal, though unfortunately, their population status and occupancy is poorly understood. I hope to add more destinations within the country, get in touch if you work in any.

  • Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park – a particularly good reserve in Nepal to see the leopard, as well as the red panda
Data has suggested, that as the tiger population of Nepal has improved, the leopards of Nepal, have been roaming outside reserves more often, and predating livestock. The documentary is that of a leopard living in a tiger reserve in Nepal.

Leopards can be found in deciduous and evergreen forests and as they are losing their habitats slowly due to human encroachment they can often be seen in conflict with humans in the fringe of their habitat.

They are more capable of surviving on small prey, given their solitary behaviour and their wildly varied size – meaning that studies have found that preys weight is generally between 10-15kg. This allows them to survive on small rodents and similar, and therefore to live in areas where larger predators like tigers, or pack hunters like wolves, which are also found within the country.

Perversely, while climate change is a large threat for snow leopards (as they generally need snow to survive) it is good for leopards, as it allows the leopard to expand its range further up the mountains, into what was once snow leopard territory.

The common leopard (so called, as it is not common in Pakistan) is thought to have a Pakistan population of between 100-200 within the countries boundaries. Thankfully, the leopard is part of a transboundary population, meaning that the whole leopard population is larger and therefore viable long-term.

The largest population of leopards in Pakistan is found in Ayubia National Park and adjoining areas of Galiyat and Abbotabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, located just north of the Margalla Hills (Galiyat also extends into parts of Punjab). These areas are close to the capital, and the leopard has been encountered in the suburbs of the large city.

Bangladesh does not have a viable leopard population, but there are occasional sightings in the forests of Sylhet, Chittagong Hill Tracts, and Cox’s Bazar. I hope to add this region the near future.

In southern Tibet, the Indian leopard was recorded in Qomolangma National Nature Preserve. It is unclear how many of this species lives in Southern Tibet, or the exact range of this animal within the country.

While they are known to be in the country, and are seen in various of the national parks and reserves from time to time, there is little known about the size of the population.

Javan Leopard

The Javan leopard is (unsurprisingly) a leopard subspecies that is restricted to the island of Java. Java has already lost the Javan tiger, and it is currently estimated to be between 188-571 (an incredibly wide range for an estimate). Unfortunately, Java is the most populous island in the world, and as such only 14% of the rainforest survive, which is where the leopard lives (habitat declined by 40% between 2000 and 2020 alone). As such, the future of this subspecies is not great – there is also little space for the population to increase.

Now, the sad fact, is that in being this fragmented, and the island having such a high population (largest human population for an island) even reserves that are close together may well be impossible to cross.

Should we be able to list any places to try to see this highly endangered species, they will be added lower down the page.


They can be found in the following national parks:

Gunung Halimun National Park

Ujung Kulon National Park

Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park

Ceremai National Park

Merbabu National Park

Merapi National Park

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park

Meru Betiri National Park

Ijen Mountain

Baluran National Park

Alas Purwo National Park

Arabian Leopard

 In 2008, the size of this subspecies left in the wild was thought to be between 45 and 200. As such, it is perhaps not surprising that this subspecies has been critically endangered since 1996.

  • Around 50 survive in Oman, living in the mountain ranges of Jabal Samhan, Jabal Qara and Jabal Qamar.
  • Hajjah and Al Mahrah governorates in Yemen

The Negev desert is thought to have lost its last leopard around 2007 and Saudi Arabia (supporting 200 recently) maybe extinct. 

This unfortunately means that tourism around this species is not easy to come across. I will as always add it below if/when I find any. What is certainly true, is visiting areas which might still have a few of this rare leopard and making it clear you are interested in them, will give locals a reason to preserve what is left, though in many places it may well be too late.

Having said this, tourist looking for specific wild animals do encourage their preservation, so despite their rarity, should you be near a reserve within their range, it is well worth spending a day or two, searching for them with a camera, and supporting which tourism infrastructure exists in the area.

Persian or Caucasian Leopard

Caucasian (also called Persian) Leopard)                                                                                                               

Restricted to the Iranian Plateau and surrounding areas encompassing Türkiye, the Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and possibly Pakistan.  

Other names include Anatolian leopard, Persian leopard, Caucasian leopard, Balochistan leopard and Asia Minor leopard

Status: endangered (since the 1960s) and currently has a population of around 1000 individuals. If this species is mentioned on this blog, any articles will appear below. Below that, is a video of this rare species, and below that, I will add any links that might help you see this species in the wild (should you work in wildlife guiding or tourism where this leopard is found do get in touch – click here .  As with other big cats, living in these animals shadow is not always easy, but I hope that over time, we can reach a point where the money coming in is good compensation for the complexities of living near animals like this.

The only place listed as good destinations to see this leopard subspecies is 

  • Golestan National Park

It does also mention the Iranian plateau, though this basically includes much of their range, and is far to vague to be useful in trying to find this animal in the wild.

Indo-Chinese Leopard

The Indo-Chinese leopard is found at latitudes similar to the Indian Leopard but is further east. They are rare outside protected areas, but at the current time, there is enough protected land to not threaten their long-term survival. On the Malay peninsular, the frequency of black (or melanistic) leopards can be as high as 1 in 2, in comparison to Africa, where as little as 1 in 1000 is born black. Indeed, this has meant that while white tigers are all closely related, and their coat makes their survival hard, there are no pockets of them in the wild. Even with the Amur tiger, they live without snow for more of the year than they have with it, so even here it is not a big advantage to have white fur. On the other hand, a black leopard can fade into the shadows, which means that for most leopards it is an advantage. In Africa, most of the time leopards spend their days sleeping high in a tree which means that it is only at night when they need camouflage, so you would think that being black would be advantageous to give birth to a black leopard dynasty in Africa, but apparently not.

 

 

There are a good range of reserves across where they are found, which means that provided they are not hunted, they should be able to survive into the future.

Some of the best places to see Indochinese leopards include:

  • Peninsular Malaysia: Considered a stronghold for Indochinese leopards
  • Northern Tenasserim Forest Complex: Located on the border of Thailand and Myanmar, this is considered a stronghold for Indochinese leopards
  • Eastern Cambodia: A priority site for Indochinese leopard conservation
  • Changqing National Nature Reserve: Located in the Qinling Mountains of southern China, this reserve is home to Indochinese leopards 
  • Thailand’s Western Forest Complex

Indochinese leopard has disappeared from 94% of its range They are now gone (extinct) in Singapore and functionally extinct (this means that while there may be a few leopards left, there are not enough to support the species long-term, and the last leopard will be gone in the next few years – whether this can be reversed by translocation is a possibility, though conservation in other parts of the range are probably more secure areas to do conservation work) in Laos and Vietnam. In Cambodia, the population is nearly extinct, and a 2021 study found no individuals.

 

The Indochinese leopard’s range has shrunk by more than 94%. They are now extinct in Singapore and functionally extinct in Laos and Vietnam. In Cambodia, the population is nearly extinct, and a 2021 study found no individuals. 

 Given, the few places where this leopard is found, I am not going to break it down into its range countries at this time, but will do so, if the number of destinations start to get high.

Sri Lankan Leopard

Only described in 1956, they are relatively similar to the Indian Leopard, and were thought to be part of that subspecies until then. There are only 800 of this subspecies of leopard, and they were listed as vulnerable in 2020, and unfortunately it is thought to still be declining. It is thought, that as a result of being the apex predator on the island, they have got bigger.

Melanistic leopards are considered particularly rare. Indeed it was only 2019 that the first confirmed in the wild in the country.

Places that are good for looking for the Javan Leopard include

  • Yala National Park: one of quite a number of reserves who claim to have the highest density of leoaprds in the world – but likely the place with the highest density of Javan leopards in the world. It is thought to have a population of 40-70 ( 979 square kilometres (378 sq mi), giving a density of 1 leopard per 5.4, while Sabi sands has a density of 1 in just over every 3 square miles
  • Wilpattu National Park
Frame from a camera trap in the Amur range

Amur (or Siberian) Leopard

Perhaps one of the hardiest leopard subspecies, it is hard to remember that this animal is incredibly similar to its cousin that roams the hot areas of the Savannahs in Africa.

What a short period of time makes for the standing for a species. Back in 2001 when planet earth was first released, they had managed to film them in the wild

What is more impressive is that at the time there were only 30 in the wild.  Setting out to find a secretive animal, when there are only 30 left is quite impressive.

Conservation has gone wonderfully in the time that has elapsed since, with an estimated population of at least 100. When I say at least, this is a likely low estimate. With a 2019 estimate of 46 of these cats in China, and a 2022 survey identifying 125 individuals. That gives an estimated combined population of 171, or almost 6 times increase in population over just 20 or so years. Russia set up the land of the leopard reserve, and the reserve below was set up by China, across the border.

The below video clip, is a video filmed in China which caught a female with 2 cubs in China, possibly the first cubs to be born in China in as long as 50 years.

There is an increasing quantity of ecotourism around this animal, and an increasing reliability of finding the cat in the wild, particularly as its population grows.

  • Land of the leopard national park: this lies in Russia, and protects most of the remaining range of this cat (within Russia), and extends to a little over 1000 square miles (2600 square km)
  • Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park: Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park is a national park in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang and Jilin Provinces spanning over an area of 14,612 km2 (5,642 sq mi) in the southern part of the Changbai Mountains.
North- China Tiger

North China Leopard

Records from before 1930 suggest that this species of Leopard used to live near Beijing and in the mountains to the North-west. The wild population is estimated at around 110, so is one of the more endangered leopard species in the world. It is thought that this population and the Amur Leopard species were connected until just a few hundred years ago. As such, it may well be possible to boost genetic variability if that were to become necessary.

As with some of the other subspecies of the leopard, there appears to be little tourism centred around this species, but should I find any, this will appear at the bottom of the page as well. Above that, you will find our regular list of any articles on this subject and a video of this species in the wild. Please do get in touch to help with people finding your reserve if it protects this rare leopard.

Like many cats – both big and lesser cats, they have rare colourings. These are not separate species, instead they are either melanistic, or albino.

 These are not common in most ecosystems (though it should be noted that in places where the colouring might be useful, it can be common – one example is the black leopard in Malaysia which has around 50% black)

 

Destinations

Limpopo Transfrontier park including Kruger sabi sands and other conservation areas
Greater Serengeti

Species watch

Species watch

All species are important, often reintroductions have failed because a small unnoticed animal was missed. Over time, we will amass pages for as many species as possible. However, just as important is  seeing how species are closely related. As such as well as looking at species from a specific ecosystem or family, we will also include family trees of many of the families on earth. It should be noted, that this is to help you find wildlife you wish to see, so will never link to every species. In either way, these links to these will be placed at the top.

Mammal family tree
Wild cat family
Wild dog family
Primate family
African Savannah
Bear family tree
Antelope family tree
Bovini or cattle family tree
Equidae: Genus for horses (horses, donkeys and zebra)
Cervidae family (deer) here red deer
Camelid family (camels and Llamas)
Aardvark
Hyaenidae
Elephant family
Hippo family
Rhino family
Pinnipeds: Seals, Sealions, Fur Seals and walruses
Crocodiles, Alligators, Caimans, Gharials, False Gharials
Lizards
Snakes
Amphibians
Birds general
Emporer-penguins Genus Aptenodytes Not threatened 256,000 breeding pairs
Flightless birds
Predatory birds
sea, water birds and waders
Mid to small birds
Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises Species
Shark Species
Tiger - all subspecies
Jaguar
Lion - all subspecies
Leopard - all subspecies
Clouded Leopard & Sunda Clouded Leopard
Snow Leopard
Cheetah - all subspecies
Lynx family (this is the Eurasian Lynx)
Wildcat
Cougar
Sumatran Orangutan
Chimpanzee
Boonobo
Gorilla
African hunting dog
wolf
arctic fox
polar bear
Panda
Bear species (the rest of the family)
Red panda
Hyrax family tree (yellow spotted hyrax)
Sus or pig family
bee eater familly
Vulture family tree
Hedgehog - European hedgehog and family
Hamster family (Turkish hamster )
Elephant shrew (western rock elephant shrew)
Beaver species
Common vole (possibly vole family in future)
Siberian ibex
Naked mole rat family
Mexican ground squirrel and the ground squirrel family
Large treeshrew photo credit Daderot CC0 1.0
Rat family (brown rat)
Pangolin family
Eagle family
Owl family
Original paper - OrthoMaM: A database of orthologous genomic markers for placental mammal phylogenetics. Ranwez V., Delsuc F., Ranwez S., Belkhir K., Tilak M. & Douzery E. J. P. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 2007, 7 : 241.

Tiger

Bengal Tiger
Amur Tiger
Caspian tiger (extinct)
malaysian-tiger
Indochinese tiger
South China Tiger
sumatran-tiger
Javan Tiger
Bali Tiger

Tiger

Tigers – Unlike Lions, tigers are not kings of their ecosystem in the same way as lions. While lions live in prides and lie out in the open, Tigers are solitary (except mothers with their young, or a current breeding pair.

In most instances, male tigers also have no part in caring for young. Amur tigers have a hard time finding food, and there are many documented cases where male tigers will leave kills for their mate and young. This has not been regularly noted amongst other sub species which  live in places where food is easier to come across.

We are yet to add any destinations to go see wild tigers, but they will appear on this page, along with a list of articles from the blog on this subject. With a range of different subspecies, which range from relatively secure and growing population, to those on the edge of extinction.

Tigers actually have a similar density in their habitat as a whole to lions (lions are about 5 times as populous, and have a range of about 5 times greater. Tigers roam around 650,000 square km, but with 4500 wild tigers – In other words, overall  each species has on average a similar density. Unfortunately, due to their solitary, and often nocturnal habits, it is better to compare tigers to leopards – for many visitors to Africa, while they might see 30 lions in a week, they might see just a couple of Leopards. Having said this, in India, this is recognized, and when a tiger is found you can take a ride on an elephant which will allow you to leave the road and get up and close to an elephant. 

Tigers are still found in a variety of countries, however, for the time being, I have not broken them down in this way, as it is more useful to look at them as their former subspecies (I say former because of a decision a few years ago – for more, look below the tiger picture that is below this text).

Below is a list of articles on all subspecies of tiger. Below that is a set of tabs, which will allow you to read about each subspecies. This is because tigers roam around 650,000 square km, however, there is thought that this could be increased by 1.7 million square km. It should be noted, that the current range of the tiger is only around 5% of its historical range.

We are eager to list as many places to see the wild tiger as we possibly can. We hope that each subspecies will eventually have plenty of destinations to see them in the wild. There are many people living alongside these animals, and as such tourism can help these peoples to earn a better income, while they protect these incredible animals.

I should note, that since 2017 there have only been 2 subspecies recognized. That of the continental tigers (Bengal, Amur, Malayan Indochinese, South China and the Caspian) and the so called Sunda tiger (historically from Sumatra Java and Bali, though only surviving in Sumatra). Now, I find it hard to believe that a Bengal tiger would survive in the Amur region of Russia. However, it may well have been found that the differences are not distinct enough to warrant subspecies status. As chance would have it, that would mean that the top line talks about distinct populations of the Continental Tiger, while the bottom line talks about the Sunda tiger populations

Tiger news in general

Wild tiger -photo credit S. Taheri
One of the last large habitats for tigers, the Sunderbans, is low level so will be lost to any significant sea level rise photo credit Soumyajit Nandy, .CC BY-SA 4.0

Bengal Tiger

The country with the most tigers is India, hosting around 70% of the remaining tigers, or a little over 3000. However, this is down from 100,000 in 1900. In 2006 the Indian tiger population was as low as just 1411 – there are individual reserves in Africa with more lions in than this number. Given that there are 54 tiger reserves in India, that leaves an average population of just 30 per reserve – translocation will be required to maintain genetically healthy tigers. Formerly working on pug-marks, counting has been replaced with photo identification, as pug marks were overestimating the population (Simlipal reserve in Orissa state claimed 101 tigers in 2004, yet in 2010 a photo count stated 61, and this is thought a a huge over estimate, as the same state government claims just 45 tigers across  the state. Sariska and Panna reserves in India are worse with the government having to admit that there are no tigers left (2 reserves of at least 5 so called tiger reserves with none left). 

In a list of the best places to see tigers, India will often count more than  half of them within its borders. There are many destinations with some tigers, and around half of the 

There is currently an estimated 3100 Bengal tigers and they are listed as endangered. However, the total number of wild tigers is around 4500, so around 2/3 live in India.

 

The vast majority of Bengal tigers live within India (and the Bengal tiger is the most common subspecies). The country has done very well over the last decade or more, with the number of tigers more than doubling, to a total of around 3100 (it should be noted, that while it was just 1411 in 2006 – just 18 years ago, it was thought to be over 100,000 back in 1900.

As of 2024, there are 55 tiger reserves, covering a combined 75,796.83 square kilometres (29,265 square miles).

It should be noted that while some have done very well, others have been shown to have zero tigers left (until recent times, the Indian government did its surveys on tiger populations using pug marks, and method shown to be extremely poor in accuracy). These reserves include Sahyadri, Satkosia, Kawal, Kamlang, and Indravati tiger reserve – alarmingly, despite this complete failure to protect their namesake (and all having had tigers in the recent past) the first 2 were rated as very good, the second two as good and the last as fair, something that suggests India has not recognized the failings.

Never-the-less, this still leaves 50 reserves with tiger populations.

Some of the best places to head, include 

  • Bandhavgarh National Park: A small park with a high density of Bengal tigers, making it more likely to spot one. Bandhavgarh was once a hunting ground, but is now a conservation site (60-90 tigers)
     
  • Kanha National Park: A great place to see tigers in India, and it works well to visit in combination with Bandhavgarh National Park. (most recent estimate suggest 105 tigers in the reserve, dismiss sites claiming 500 or more)
     
  • Ranthambore National Park: A great tiger safari location with a fort and varied landscapes. (80 tigers, up from just 25 in 2005)
     
  • The Sundarbans, split between Bangladesh and India: A mangrove forest with over 114 Bengal tigers, of which nearly 40 live in India. It should be noted, that India call this area the Ganges delta (and some split the area between these two names).
     
  • Tadoba National Park, India: Home to at least 80 tigers, as well as other wildlife like cheetahs, leopards, sloth bears, and crocodiles. (93 tigers as of 2022)
     
  • Pench National Park: Inspired by The Jungle Book, Pench’s ghost trees and long grass make it a great place for a safari. (around 50 tigers)
     
  • Panna National Park: A small but rewarding habitat for tigers, surrounded by forest (around 55 tigers)
     
    Please note: this site is not merely for information. Should you work in any of these reserves and would like to list, do click list your wild place.
 

Bangladesh still has tigers, living in several areas. 2/3 of the Sundarbans lie within Bangladesh, however, unfortunately, there has been much tiger poaching within this area.

In 2004, there was an estimated 440 Tigers living within the Bangladesh section of the Sundarbans, however the same survey carried out in 2018 just counted 114. There has been some argument as to how accurate the first survey actually was, however, there has been much known poaching, with one man finally caught in 2021 who was thought to have killed 70 tigers over 20 years. What I am saying, is that if one man killed 70 tigers, is it a difficult thing to believe that all other poachers managed to kill 256 tigers in the same period?

While in theory the Sandarbans might be thought of as a good tiger conservation area, long-term, we might have a problem. The majority of the forest floor, ranges from 0.91m to 2.11m above sea level, with the hoghest point being just 3m above sea level.

Even if we were to reduce emissions in line with the whole Paris climate accord, we are looking at between 0.28-0.55m rise, which will destroy large parts of the Sundarbans., while the polar ice sheet disintegration (a scary one as we do not know where the tipping point is on this) we could see sea level rise of 5m.

The other tiger area is the Chittagong Hill Tracts, which is the only hilly area in Bangladesh. It is home to a variety of tribes as well as an estimated 15 tigers. Obviously, this is not a viable population, so without significant human intervention, the loss of the Sundarbans would likely lead to a loss of the Chttagong hill tracts tigers in a relatively short time.

Bhutan had a survey of its tiger population in 2024, and 131 tigers were counted, a 27% increase on the previous survey in 2016. This is good, but particularly as Bhutan. can largely be thought of as a high altitude corridor which connects much of the remaining Bengal tiger habitat. This means that, without it, recovery is going to be harder. Bhutan is a very mountainous country, and as such was not historically seen as a possible habitat, but when tigers were filmed (by camera trap) 4000m up in the Himalayas. Despite being thought of as a corridor, it appeared that tigers at this height were actually showing mating behaviour, suggesting that the whole life of tigers was taking place at this altitude – and therefore there could also be a permanent population on the roof of the world.

Reserves with tigers, within the country include

  • Royal Manas National Park (connected to Manas national park of India
  • Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park (hikers often spot tigers around Wamling village)
  • Transboundary Manas Conservation Area (TRaMCA) also known as Jomotshangkha – a small reserve that is part of a large conservation area covering parts of India, as well as this reserve in Bhutan

Bengal tigers are found in Nepal in low numbers (going on the numbers in reserves below, In 2022, the country estimated a population of 355 tigers (well above the 250 needed for Nepal to have doubled its tiger population, but still well below the tiger population that would have lived there, just a few decades ago.

  • Chitwan National Park –  with 93 tigers living within the reserve
  • Bardia National Park – with 125 tigers living within the reserve
  • Parsa National Park – with 41 tigers living within the reserves
  • Banke National Park – with 25 tigers living within the reserve

The number of tigers in China is estimated at under 400, however, this is likely a very high estimate. There are reasonable doubts if any Bengal tigers survive in the country. It is far more likely that the last one has already been lost.

Wild Amur tiger in the snow
Amur Tigers are incredibly hardy, living in a place covered in snow for over half the year

Amur Tiger

  • Russia hosts one of the hardest tigers to see. However, there are now around 500 Amur tigers roaming the remote far east of Russia, up from less than 40 in the 1940s,  this population has also had great gains. 

Unfortunately there is little habitat for this population to grow much more, however recent genetic analysis has shown that the Amur tiger and the Caspian tiger (which lived in the far west of Russia, as well as various other countries around here like Türkiye (the new spelling of turkey)) is not distinct enough to be a separate subspecies – it is actually the western portion of the Amur tiger. The genetic analysis suggests that the two populations split within the last 200 years. This makes the map to the right, incorrect, as the whole of the Caspian tiger tiger range should be added to the pink part of the map.

The Caspian tiger’s population was once estimated to be two to three tigers per 100 square kilometers in their habitat. The Caspian tiger’s range was once as large as 800,000–900,000 square kilometers, and they lived in many regions, including:

Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Trans-Caucasia, Eastern Anatolia, Central Asia’s riverine tugai forest systems 

The Caspian tiger’s population declined due to a number of factors, including: 

  • Hunting: High incentives were paid for tiger skins until 1929.
  • Loss of prey: Deforestation and subsistence hunting by humans reduced the population of the tigers’ main prey, wild pigs and deer.
  • Habitat loss: The clearing of forests for agriculture further reduced the population.
  • Irrigation and agriculture projects: These projects contributed to the destruction of the Caspian tiger’s habitat. 

The last Caspian tiger was officially documented in 1958, and the species was declared extinct in 2003.  

However, these discoveries mean we should be able to translocate Amur tigers west to repopulate these long empty tiger ranges. Ili-Balkash Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan covers 4150 square km (1600 square miles). This is large enough for a population of around 120 tigers. The Caspian tiger, was thought to have a total population of as high as 27000 historically, so there is a great deal of range which this animal could return to. 

Currently, there are thought to be between 265 and 486, the 750 number shows an impressive recovery, though given all the other things that the Russian government has lied about, we should be careful. They are listed as endangered. It should be noted, that in the 1930s there was just 20-30 Amur tigers , so this is a quite fantastic recovery – the population has increased by 800-2400% in around 100 years. It should be noted, that the Amur leopard has done half of the recovery of the possibly population increase, in just 20 years – showing what is possible. A similar recovery at the current time with Amur Leopards, would return this population to around 500.

Much of the recovery, is down to reserves being set up in both China and Russia, for these cats protection. Expansion of these reserves would allow more cats to survive, while the founding and growing of an eco-tourism market could allow locals to benefit from the tigers and leopards living there.

We are eager to work with anyone in the field, do get in touch. Click on list your wild place.

It is unlikely that there are any permanent tigers living in North Korea, however as you can see from the above video, there are definitely visitors. The reserves in Russia and China are both close by, so it seems quite reasonable for these tigers to appear in the country from time to time. Unfortunately, the prey populations would likely have to recover for the tiger to live in the country long-term, and it is unclear how much land is available. With the horrific humanitarian situation within the country, it is also quite likely that even if the wilderness could support the tiger, they would be poached out of existence once again.

It appears that tigers use the boundaries of each park as so-called highways, and so tigers probably visit relatively regularly. The situation in North Korea, is generally too dangerous at the current time for travel, and in any case, given the tiger is just an occasional visitor, it is unlikely that any tourist would spot one.

The wildlife conservation society of China has camera traps which suggested 45 tigers were living on their land in the northeast, along with 30 leopards. 

The Dahuanggou region was also found to have 9 Amur tigers and 4 leopards.

This does seem an impressive recovery, though this may well be at least in part down to formal reserves and an attempt to police them, which happened less in the past.

Should there be tourist operators working in this area, do click on List your wild (on the top menu) or click here to add your reserve

The Amur tiger conservation and recovery has been a focus of Vladimir Putin, and as such, the Russian population of Amur tigers has risen from 390 Amur tigers in 2012, up to 750 in the most recent survey. 

With the increase in Chinese tigers, the wild Amur tiger population is now over 800.

In the 1940s the population was under 50, so while it may have taken 80 years,  but the population of Amur tigers is well on its way to recovery in the Russian far east. Now, it should be noted, that the Caspian tiger has been shown, to be merely a subpopulation of the Amur tiger, so there is the capability to be far higher. Going back over a century, before the horrific decision to eradicate the Amur tiger,there were around 3000 tigers in the wild. The Caspian tiger range,

Caspian tiger (extinct)

Caspian Tiger

The Caspian tiger was officially declared extinct in 2003, with the last two sightings were in 1958 and 1974 (in Kegeli in Karakalpkstan).

Before its local extinction, this tiger occurred in eastern Turkey, southern Caucasus, northern Iran, Iraq, and in isolated pockets throughout Central Asia as far as north-western China. Whether it will ever be allowed to have a range like this, is anyone’s guess. Clearly, humans were curtailing its range very early on. The only record for instance of its presence in Iraq, was from a 1887, when one was shot near Mosul. The last tiger in Turkey was shot in 1970, with Iran loosing its last in either 1953 or 1958, and the last tiger of Turkmenistan being shot in 1954.

Given the vast historic range of the Caspian tiger (and the recent discovery that the Caspian and Amur tiger is the same subspecies, there is many areas that are suitable for reintroduction. It is also possible, that by strategically translocating, it might be possible to reduce the number of tigers in the areas where they share habitat with Amur leopards, which might allow this population to also grow faster. The Caspian tiger is officially extinct, though it should be subsumed into the Amur tiger subspecies. It ranged from the eastern parts of Turkey to the central part of Russia (where it joined with the Amur tiger population. Plans are afoot to re-establish tigers in this range,  given that as the Amur tiger is the same sub-species it should thrive as it did in the past.

Please look under Amur tiger for further, other information, as these two subspecies have proved to be the same thing. Any links for visiting areas with Amur/Caspian tigers, will be made on the Amur tiger tab, as this supspecies subsumed the Caspian tiger not the other way round.

Malayan Tiger walking1 Angah hfz

The Malaysian tiger is a subspecies of tiger that is found on the Malaysian peninsular. There are only thought to be 80-120 tigers left in this country, and this has been caused by a variety of factors, including poaching for skin and bones, as well as habitat loss and fracturing, into smaller areas. It is similar to the Indochinese tiger (to the right) though it is smaller, and is the smallest mainland subspecies, though only slightly bigger on average than the Sumatran tiger.

As with elsewhere, increased tourism dollars, might well help local people see value in preserving this species. In the 1950s there were around 3000 of these tigers, however given a density of 1-2 tigers per 100 square km  that would require a lot of space. Malaysia protects about 13.3% of its land area which equates to 44,000 square km. .Going by top densities, this is only space for almost 900 tigers (though that is 8 to 9 times the current population) but if poaching were to stop, this situation could change fast.

They are classed as critically endangered. Do get in touch if you work in a reserve that these tigers live in, we are eager to help people find you.

Historically found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, this species decline is large. In 2010, the assessment was that there were 250 left in Thailand, with around 85 in Myanmar and perhaps 20 hanging on in Vietnam. It is thought that the population is now just 250. This sub-species is found in Myanmar(85)) and Thiland(237), with a total population of an estimated 342 individuals. Back in 2009-2014 the population was thought to be between 189-252 in this period. Vietnam is only thought to have 5 remaining, while Laos is thought to have 2. Historically, it was also found in Cambodia and China. Historically, it is thought that this species range would have gone further North, potentially up to Chittagong Hill Tracts and Brahmaputra River basin, where the Bengal tiger populations range ended.

In Myanmar, surveys were conducted between 1999 and 2002, confirming the presence of tigers in the Hukawng Valley, Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary and in two small areas in the Tanintharyi Region. The Tenasserim Hills is an important area, but forests are harvested there (which means that they may be too much disruption for the tiger to survive here). In 2015, a camera trap took an image of a tiger in the hill forests of Kayin State. Camera trap surveys between 2016 and 2018 revealed about 22 adult individuals in three sites that represent 8% of the potential tiger habitat in the country. How many the rest of the country could support even if they had to be reintroduced is beyond the scope of this.

More than half of the total Indochinese tiger population survives in the Western Forest Complex in Thailand (Covering an area of about 18,000 sq. km. extended into Myanmar border along the Tennaserim Range and abreviated to (WEFCOM)) is considered as the largest remaining forest track in the mainland Southeast Asia that is made up of 17  protected areas (without gaps between them; 11 national parks and 6 wildlife sanctuaries.), especially in the area of the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. This habitat consists of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. Camera trap surveys from 2008 to 2017 in eastern Thailand detected about 17 adult tigers in an area of 4,445 km2 (1,716 sq mi) in Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai Forest Complex. Several individuals had cubs. The population density in Thap Lan National Park, Pang Sida National Park and Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary was estimated at 0.32–1.21 individuals per 100 km2 (39 sq mi). Three subadult tigers were photographed in spring 2020 in a remote region of Thailand that are thought to be dispersing – moving out of areas which they were born into, and trying to find territory of their own.

In Laos, 14 tigers were documented in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area during surveys from 2013 to 2017, covering four blocks of about 200 km2 (77 sq mi) semi-evergreen and evergreen forest that are interspersed with some patches of grassland. Surveys that have been carried out since, have failed to detect any tigers, and the likelihood is that they have been extirpated as a result of poaching. Given the huge value of dead tigers in Chinese medicine, this is not a big surprise, as the current value for a carcass of a dead tiger is around £67,000 before doing anything with it, the value of it after extracting everything used in Chinese medicine (no evidence that it does anything) is around 5 times higher or £335,000. That is a huge windfall, but given that the average salary in Thailand is about £2200 a year (meaning that while many earn a great deal more than this, also many earn much less). 335,000, therefore represents perhaps 150 years of average salary. This is another place, where tourism can help. A thriving tourism industry will bring well paid jobs to many, and will therefore, not only preserve the tiger, but has the capacity of lifting many communities out of destitution.

In eastern Cambodia, tigers were last recorded in Mondulkiri Protected Forest and Virachey National Park during surveys between 1999 and 2007. In 2016, the Cambodian government declared that the tiger was “functionally extinct”. In April 2023, India signed a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia to assist the country with the tiger’s reintroduction. At least 90 acres (36 ha) of the Cardamom Mountains of Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary could be used to host Bengal tigers (though this if a correct number is not going to do much for a wild tiger).

From the 1960s and earlier, the Indochinese tiger occurred throughout the mountains in Vietnam, even in the midlands and Islands. In the report of the Government of Vietnam at the Tiger Forum in 2004, there would be tigers in only 17 provinces and they were living in fragmented and severely degraded forest areas. Tigers were still present in 14 protected areas in the 1990s, but none have been recorded in the country since 1997. There is news of its extinction in both countries. In Laos, no tiger has been seen since 2013, when its populations were estimated at only two, and these two individuals simply vanished shortly after 2013 from Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area, denoting they were most likely killed either by snare or gun. In Vietnam, a 2014 IUCN Red List report indicated that tigers were possibly extinct in Vietnam.

In China, it occurred historically in Yunnan province and Mêdog County, where it probably does not survive today.  Thus, probably the Indochinese tiger now only survives in Thailand and Myanmar. In Yunnan’s Shangyong Nature Reserve, three individuals were detected during surveys carried out from 2004 to 2009.

In Thailand’s Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, 11 individual tigers were equipped with GPS radio collars between June 2005 and August 2011. Females had a mean home range of 70.2km2 (27.1 sq mi) and males of 267.6km2 (103.3sq mi).

Between 2013 and 2015, 11 prey species were identified at 150 kill sites. They ranged in weight from 3 to 287 kg.  Sambar deer, banteng, gaur, and wild boar were most frequently killed, but also remains of Asian elephant calves, hog badger, Old World porcupine, muntjac, serow, pangolin, and langur species were identified.

The primary threat to the tiger is poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. Tiger bone has been an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 1,500 years and is either added to medicinal wine, used in the form of powder, or boiled to a glue-like consistency. More than 40 different formulae containing tiger bone were produced by at least 226 Chinese companies in 1993. Tiger bone glue is a popular medicine among urban Vietnamese consumers.

Between 1970 and 1993, South Korea imported 607 kg  of tiger bones from Thailand and 2,415 kg from China between 1991 and 1993. Between 2001 and 2010, wildlife markets were surveyed in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. During 13 surveys, 157 body parts of tigers were found, representing at least 91 individuals. Whole skins were the most commonly traded parts. Bones, paws, and penises were offered as aphrodisiacs in places with a large sex industry. Tiger bone wine was offered foremost in shops catering to Chinese customers. Traditional medicine accounted for a large portion of products sold and exported to China, Laos, and Vietnam. Between 2000 and 2011, 641 tigers, both live and dead, were seized in 196 incidents in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China; 275 tigers were suspected to have leaked into trade from captive facilities. China was the most common destination of the seized tigers.

In Myanmar’s Hukaung Valley, the Yuzana Corporation, alongside local authorities, has expropriated more than 200,000 acres (81,000 ha) of land from more than 600 households since 2006. Much of the trees have been logged, and the land has been transformed into plantations. Some of the land taken by the Yazana Corporation had been deemed tiger transit corridors. Without this land, smaller reserves can instantly become incapable of supporting tigers longterm. These are areas of land that were supposed to be left untouched by development in order to allow the region’s Indochinese tigers to travel between protected pockets of reservation land.

Since 1993, the Indochinese tiger has been listed on CITES Appendix I, making international trade illegal. China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and Taiwan banned trade in tigers and sale of medicinal derivatives. Manufacture of tiger-based medicine was banned in China, and the open sale of tiger-based medicine reduced significantly since 1995.

Patrolling in Thailand’s Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary has been intensified since 2006 so that poaching appears to have been reduced, resulting in a marginal improvement of tiger survival and recruitment. By autumn 2016, at least two individuals had dispersed to adjacent Mae Wong National Park; six cubs were observed in Mae Wong and the contiguous Khlong Lan National Park in 2016, indicating that the population was breeding and recovering.[43]

In Thailand and Laos, this tiger is considered Endangered, while it is considered Critically Endangered in Vietnam and Myanmar. Of course, if all this is correct, then some of these countries should amend their listing to extinct.

The Indochinese tiger is the least represented in captivity and is not part of a coordinated breeding program. As of 2007, 14 individuals were recognized as Indochinese tigers based on genetic analysis of 105 captive tigers in 14 countries. This is no where near enough to be able to do a reintroduction.

I will hope to add links to help arrange travel to see this species, do get in touch if you can help

More than half of the total Indochinese tiger population survives in the Western Forest Complex in Thailand, especially in the area of the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary.

They are considered endangered in Thailand and critically endangered in Myanmar and Vietnam

South China Tiger

This subspecies is definitely extinct in the wild. It was considered critically endangered from 1996, but none have been seen since the early 1990s. The human population is large in this area.

The captive South China tiger population is thought to be around 150, though it is thought that few if any are pure South China tiger.

Laohu Valley Reserve, Free State in South Africa, is a 300 square km reserve which has been used to rewild the first of these tigers. There are now thought to be around 18 that could return to South China, and the plan was for them to return in 2008. Unfortunately, the situation there, has not improved, and so there is still no place for them to be reintroduced. The couple who paid for, and instigated this plan have since divorced, so it is unclear if the animals will ever return home.

They are officially extinct in the wild – however, given their presence both in captivity, and in small reserves in the wild (if not within their original range), it is clear that in the future they could return.

Sumatra is the only Indonesian island which still houses wild tigers. There are currently thought to be 500-600 left in the wild (in 2017 the population was estimated at around 618 plus or minus 290 – a huge error margin).

As with elsewhere, habitat fragmentation is a big problem for this cat. The largest protected reserve is Gunung Leuser National Park. Around 500 of the islands tigers live in reserves, with another 100 living outside protected areas. Sightings are rare, but if you trek in the park, they are possible. Indeed, it is the last place on earth where elephants rhinos tigers and orangutans live alongside each other. There are also sun bears, making a fascinating if difficult big 5. The area also hosts some of the last clouded leopards in the world,

They are classed as critically endangered. while their population has grown in the last few decades, deforestation makes further growth hard, and further losses likely.

Below, is our usual list of any articles that might have been written on this subject, and below that is a documentary on Sumatran tigers. Below both of these, we will add any links which might help you see this animal in the wild (or indeed visit its wild home, giving locals more incentive to protective for the future)

Although only officially declared extinct in 2003, the last reliable sightings of tracks and the animal occurred in 1976. 

Ujung Kulon National Park hosts the last Javan rhino, thought to number just 76.  Other local species include carnivores such as leopard, wild dog (dhole), leopard cat, fishing cat, Javan mongoose and several species of civets. It is also home to three endemic primate species; the Javan gibbon, Javan leaf monkey and silvered leaf monkey. Over 270 species of birds have been recorded and terrestrial reptiles and amphibians include two species of python, two crocodile species and numerous frogs and toads. This habitat may well suit tigers in the future. However, the tiger population in Sumatra must first recover, and this may never happen, given the continued clearing of the rainforest.  A century ago, there were also orangutans.

They are classed as extinct, and while there are occasional possible sightings, it is highly unlikely that any remain.

It is quite possible that the Sumatran tiger could be introduced into Java to fill the niche that was left behind as these were very similar, but for the time being, Java is already struggling to save their remaining species, and reintroducing the tiger, would likely put further pressure on the Javan Leopard.

The Bali tiger was lost in 1937 when it was shot. It is thought that they persisted in low numbers as late as the 1970s, though they were not declared extinct until 2008. Around 1250 square km remain on the island of rainforest, suggesting that it is another potential destination for the Sumatran tiger. Much work needs to be done first, both on Bali and on Sumatra, if this is to happen                          

Species is officially extinct, and at the current time, there is no where near enough wild space for this tiger to be reintroduced from its closely related cousin the Sumatran tiger. Furthermore, given the delicate position of the Sumatran tiger, it would seem more sensible to let the Sumatran tiger recover first before even thinking of translocating any of its population elsewhere.

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At the moment the world’s current maximum temperature rise would make life impossible for 1 billion people on the planet

At 35 degrees Celsius the human body can no longer regulated temperature effectively. Indeed even healthy people sitting in the shade at this temperature turn to last not much more than 6 hours.

If we have 4 degrees of global warming, half of the population on earth will fall into the dangerous category of extreme heat.

Currently, Brazil India and Ethiopia are the hardest hit by extreme heat, but at 4 degrees Celsius, this will increase dramatically impact in large parts of Europe as well as lots of other parts of the developed world.

The scary statistic is that even if we hit 2 degrees of warming, this will still put more than 1 billion under this horrific heat condition.

Continue reading “At the moment the world’s current maximum temperature rise would make life impossible for 1 billion people on the planet”
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Recent evidence suggests that dingoes arrived in Australia 1500 years later than first thought: why is this important and should it give us more courage in repatriating Tasmanian devils to the mainland

While the dingo made look like part of the native fauna of Australia, that is not the case. They were bought there by aboriginal people. 

the dingo may look like a domestic dog, there has been little or no interbreeding for 4000 years with other dogs that were domesticated
Continue reading “Recent evidence suggests that dingoes arrived in Australia 1500 years later than first thought: why is this important and should it give us more courage in repatriating Tasmanian devils to the mainland”

Sightings boards

Everywhere on the planet can have wildlife – even the most nature depleted country do still have wildlife. We aim to allow you to list sightings from all over the world, wherever you encounter them, from encounters on walks to sightings in the headlights of a car.

When you arrive in a wild place, it can seem overwhelming. You are given a large area to explore (even the small reserves are usually several hundred square miles, and while this doesn’t seem big, where do you go?). The aim of these pages is to change this. Often, the main reason that you hire a guide, is that they know where the animals are most likely to be.

Over time, by using this map, and putting down your sightings, we will build up a map of where animals are often found and when. It will also be possible to see where animals have been seen recently, though sighting will not appear instantly. While you might think this is not good, it actually makes sure that the person making the initial sighting gets to enjoy the animal to themselves for a while. While in theory this would allow day visitors to zoom around and tick off the big 5 in a couple of hours, this has been built for more interesting reasons.

Importantly, I am keen that this is not a tool for poachers. As such, it is possible for us to remove animals from being chosen to appear on the map, so you can feel confident in listing sightings of animals such as black rhino. If you see news of a poaching epidemic somewhere, let me know. In the long term I hope to create these sightings boards for all destinations.

Click on the maps below to go to the relevant sightings board.

Limpopo transfrontier park, Kruger Sabi Sands Limpopo, Gonarezhou and others
Serengeti, Ngorogoro, Massai Mara Mau forest and other wild regions

In the near future, before many people have found the map, it can operate very well as a personal guide to where you saw animals. Like us, animals have regular habits, and so if you find them in one place on one day, and put up the sighting, they are likely to be near the sighting on future days. However, as the sightings data builds up, there is likely to be a change in how you can use it. Of course you can continue to look at what has happened recently, however the filtering options have been designed so that you can look at the pattern of sightings – the hope is that with a little planning homework, you can give yourself information on wildlife habits, and become your own expert wildlife guide.

 

 

Apart from the big 5 I have included wild dog and cheetah, jackals, and hyena. I have also included the rarer antelope – these tend to be found in specific parts of the park, so knowing where to look can help in finding them. Finally I have listed some rarely seen nocturnal animals, like pangolins and aardvarks. It is unlikely that these are ones other people can look at, though if we get lots of data in this field, it may allow scientific study of these rarely seen creatures.

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