Big Cats & Small Cats in the Wild

Posted by Jennifer Copley Jul 22, 2008

How many wild cats are there? According to The International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada, there are 37 species of wild cat in the world and 30 of these are small cats. The majority of wild cat populations are endangered or vulnerable due to habitat destruction, persecution, the fur trade and the exotic pet trade.

For most wild cats, total numbers are not known. Cats tend to be shy and elusive, and it is difficult to get accurate information regarding populations, particularly for the small cats. ISEC offers estimates for certain wild cat populations. However, some of these estimates are 10 to 20 years old, and populations may have changed in the interim:

• Ocelot – 1 million
• Bobcat – 750,000-1 million USA
• Leopard – 700,000+
• Lion – 50,000 African lions, 500-600 Indian lions
• Tiger– 49,000-73,000 (just 400 of which are Siberian tigers)
• Lynx – 40,000 Russia, more throughout Urasia, numbers unknown in Canada; the Iberian Lynx faces extinction at under 100
• Snow Leopard – 3,500-7,000
• Cougar – 10,000 USA, Canadian and Central/South American populations unknown
• African Black-Footed Cat – less than 10,000 mature breeders
• Jaguar – 1,000 Mexico, 150-200 Costa Rica, 2,500 Brazilian Pantanal, 1,500 Belize and Guatamala
• Iriomote cat – just 100, only on Iriomote Island, Japan
• Scottish Wild Cat – less than 400

See Helping Endangered Wild Cats for information on sponsoring endangered cats.