LILONGWE ― Habitat loss and direct persecution of large carnivores are well-documented threats, but the role that cultural demand plays in the fortunes of many species of wildcats is poorly understood. In a study published in March 2025, researchers found that alongside servals and cheetahs, leopards and lions — both classed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List — are among the most commonly exploited species. Study co-author Marine Drouilly told Mongabay by email that many conservation efforts fail because they don’t consider local beliefs and traditions. “While threats such as habitat loss and poaching for bushmeat are well-documented, cultural practices — such as the use of skins, bones, and other parts in rituals, traditional medicine, or social status symbols — are often overlooked,” said Drouilly, the carnivore monitoring coordinator for West and Central Africa at wildcat conservation NGO Panthera. A young female leopard rests on a fallen tree trunk in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Nature Reserve. Image courtesy of Panthera. Genet, serval and black-backed jackal skins, at the Faraday market, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2017. Image courtesy of Jacob Calle/Panthera. There are more than 2,000 ethnolinguistic groups in Africa, each with its own distinctive customs. “Many of these cultures have traditions of using wildlife for purposes such as attire, zootherapy (medicine) and bushmeat, but the pervasive usage of carnivore parts, especially in traditional ceremonies, has not received the level of consideration it seems to warrant,” Drouilly and her fellow researchers write. Among the better-known examples of cultural demand for wildcat…This article was originally published on Mongabay
Study reveals overlooked cultural threat to wildcats across Africa
