Conservation Efforts

ALF~ Anatolian Leopard Foundation~

(quoted directly from the official website)

Mission of ALF

Presented with indications that the elusive leopard still survives in certain remote areas of Turkey, the Anatolian Leopard Foundation (ALF) was established in 2008 to support an inquiry and survey, starting in an area of the Taurus Mountains of Southwest Anatolia. Our mission is as follows:

1. Establish the survival of the leopard in Turkey using systematic surveys with modern non-invasive methods and equipment.
2. Upon confirmation promote and support the research for recovery and conservation of the leopard in Turkey, linking in with conservation programs in neighboring countries.
3. Collate information on the (historical) ecology of leopards in Turkey by consultation of experts and others with knowledge on the subject.
4. Help solve the taxonomic debate around the Anatolian leopard subspecies with respect to other subspecies in southwest Asia.
5. Support conservation activities and research for the protection and ecological understanding of leopards throughout their range in southwest Asia, including the Middle East, Asia Minor and Transcaucasia, linking in with ongoing initiatives.

The foundation consists of a team of four Dutch researchers and one Turkish researcher with a background and training in ecological research and/or conservation ecology.

Another association that is working to protect the Anatolian Leopard as well as other wild cats is 'Big Cat Rescue'.

Big Cat Rescue~(quoted directly from official website)

Our Mission

Big Cat Rescue, a non profit educational sanctuary, is devoted to rescuing and providing a permanent home for exotic (i.e. wild, not domestic) cats who have been abused, abandoned, bred to be pets, retired from performing acts, or saved from being slaughtered for fur coats, and to educating the public about these animals and the issues facing them in captivity and in the wild.

The sanctuary is home to the most diverse population of exotic cats in the world, with 16 species and subspecies of wild cat represented among more than 100 residents. These include tigers, lions, liger, leopards, cougars, bobcats, lynx, ocelots, servals, caracals and others, many of whom are threatened, endangered, or now extinct in the wild.