Looking for Big Cats Big cats are found around the world in many types of habitats and climates. Tigers are found the farthest north. One species lives in the snowy mountains of Siberia. Jaguars favor the rain forests and


grasslands of Central and South America. Lions prowl the plains of central and southern Africa. Leopards are found in Africa and Asia.


Clashing with Big Cats But wherever they live, every big cat shares one big problem: habitat loss. As people take over land for homes and businesses, there are fewer places for wild animals. Within this shrinking world, big cats


sometimes prey on valuable livestock. When big cats kill or hurt livestock, farmers get upset. T at’s because livestock are the only way many of them can support their families. Angry farmers sometimes kill the big cats. T at’s not the only danger to big cats.


Sometimes big cats are poached, or killed illegally, for their body parts. Some cultures make “medicines” from their skin, whiskers, teeth, and bones. Of all the big cats, tigers face the greatest


risk of extinction. Only a few thousand tigers are leſt in the world. T e number of lions has decreased too. In the 1800s there were millions of lions. Today there is only a fraction of that number. Clashes with humans have aff ected the number of leopards and jaguars, too.


Where to Find


This map shows approximate ranges of jaguars, leopards, lions, and tigers.


Ca PA C I F I C OC E A N


jaguar


“Jaguar” comes from the Native American word “yajuar.” It means “he who kills with one leap.”


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