Throughout history, carnivores have been both revered and feared. They've also been persecuted — hunted and killed by those seeking to show mastery over nature's powerful predators and by those who misunderstand these animals' roles.

ABOUT THE CARNIVORE CONSERVATION PROGRAM

Because carnivores are at the top of the food chain, they promote an ecosystem's overall health. In areas where human activity has eliminated top predators, their former prey — like deer or elk — tend to overpopulate their habitats, causing the dramatic decline of those ecosystems. In addition, protecting areas large enough to support populations of animals like bears, jaguars, and wolves can help conserve a wide range of species, both animals and plants, as well as the integrity of the complex ecosystems they inhabit.

Recognizing the ecological importance of wolves, bears and other carnivores, the Center uses science-based advocacy to defend these magnificent animals from exploitation and extinction. For example, we’ve worked on multiple fronts to ensure a safe and healthy habitat for grizzly bears, to end misguided “predator control” by federal and state agencies, and to bring red wolf poachers to justice. We've worked to protect gray wolves across the countryjaguars and ocelots in the Southwest, grizzly bears in the northern Rockies, and four subspecies of island foxes on California's Channel Islands, among many other predator species.

HOW WE DO IT

• Scientific petitions and litigation to win Endangered Species Act protection, critical habitat and up-to-date recovery plans
• Scientific analysis and lawsuits to ensure proper management of federal lands providing key habitats for protected predators
• Advocacy to fight anti-wolf efforts by states and in Congress
• Strategic litigation to counter livestock-industry attacks on wolves and grizzlies
• Digital advocacy and media outreach to educate people about predators’ crucial ecological role and mobilize their support
• Outreach and funding to find and prosecute poachers

MILESTONES

The Center's Carnivore Conservation program has ...

Check out our press releases to learn more about actions by Center's Carnivore Conservation program.

Banner photo by by Holy Smokes! Pham/Flickr