Protecting the World’s Wild Felids
The Wild Felid Conservation Trust is a conservation organisation dedicated to the study, documentation and protection of wild cat species and the landscapes they depend upon.
Our work is built around a simple idea:
The better we understand these species, the better equipped we are to protect them.
Wild felids occupy some of the most ecologically important and difficult-to-access habitats on Earth. Yet their elusive behaviour, low population densities and often remote ranges can make them extraordinarily difficult to study.
We use technology, field research and collaboration to help overcome those challenges.
Our Mission
Our mission is to improve the understanding and conservation of wild felids through science-driven field research, advanced monitoring technology, international collaboration and visual storytelling.
We aim to generate information that contributes to real conservation outcomes while simultaneously bringing people closer to species and landscapes they may otherwise never encounter.
Where science meets storytelling.
Where science meets storytelling.
Our Approach
Science Driven
Our projects are grounded in research.
We use camera trapping, ecological monitoring and data analysis to investigate wild felid presence, distribution, habitat use and behaviour.
Where possible, our work is developed alongside researchers and conservation partners to ensure that the information being collected addresses genuine ecological and conservation questions.
Collaborative
We believe the strongest conservation projects are collaborative.
Our role is not always to create a new project.
Often, the greatest impact comes from supporting researchers and organisations already working within a landscape - providing equipment, camera trapping expertise, field capability, media support or international connections that enable existing work to go further.
Technology Led
Wildlife monitoring technology continues to transform what is possible in the field.
We work with conventional trail cameras, remote monitoring systems, DSLR and mirrorless camera traps, specialist triggering technology and emerging equipment capable of operating in increasingly difficult environments.
By combining different technologies, we can collect both scientific information and high-quality visual material from the same landscapes.
Visually Powerful
Much of the wildlife we study is rarely seen by people.
Photography changes that.
A scientifically valuable camera-trap record can simultaneously become an extraordinary tool for communication.
By combining ecological research with visual storytelling, we aim to make scientific work accessible to audiences well beyond academia.
Why Wild Felids?
Wild cats occupy an extraordinary variety of ecosystems.
From tropical rainforest and savannah to cloud forest, desert and alpine environments, felids can act as important indicators of functioning ecosystems.
Many are apex or mesopredators whose survival is closely linked to healthy prey populations, connected habitats and functioning ecological communities.
Protecting wild felids therefore means thinking beyond individual species.
It means protecting landscapes.
Daan Lichtenberg - Dedicated Data Scientist and Remote Sensor Specialist
Where We Work
Our work is international.
Projects are selected based on conservation relevance, research opportunity, collaboration potential and where our specialist capabilities can make a meaningful contribution.
A core focus of our current work is within remote and high-elevation landscapes, including the Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica and Mount Kenya.
As our partnerships develop, so will the geographic reach of the Trust.
Our Vision
We want to build a global network capable of deploying sophisticated camera trapping and visual monitoring technology wherever it can make a genuine difference.
A network connecting scientists, conservationists, camera trappers, photographers, filmmakers and local experts.
The result is conservation that is collaborative, evidence-led and capable of communicating its importance to the world.
Meet Benjamin
Benjamin Luke is a conservation biologist and founder of the Wild Felid Conservation Trust and its flagship programme, the Wild Cat Imaging Project. His work focuses on using camera trapping and visual storytelling to study and raise awareness for elusive wild cat species in some of the most remote landscapes of Central America. Through field research, conservation partnerships, and compelling imagery, Benjamin aims to bridge the gap between science and public engagement to drive meaningful action for wild cat conservation.
