Yes, you are right! There are five big cat species: the lion (Panthera leo), tiger (Panthera tigris), jaguar (Panthera onca), leopard (Panthera pardus) and snow leopard (Panthera uncia). Learn more about those species here.

Yes, you are right! The main threats to big cat populations are habitat loss, human–wildlife conflict, (illegal) wildlife trade and hunting. Wild population numbers would benefit more from habitat protection than from the release of captive big cats into these environments. Learn more about the threats to big cat populations here.

Yes, you are right! Canned hunting mainly concerns the hunting of lions. For the hunter everything is made as easy as possible. The animals were born in captivity and are accustomed to humans. They are released in a fenced-off area, which means they cannot escape. Read more about canned hunting here.

Yes, you are right! Trading tigers from the wild is illegal in the EU, but trading tigers which were born in captivity is not. FOUR PAWS wants to ban the trade in captive bred tigers in Europe. Read more about our work here.

Yes, you are right! Unfortunately, the world has already lost over 90 percent of its tigers and there are only an estimated 3,900 tigers left in the wild. This dramatic decline is a result of a relentless demand for tigers traded for their parts but also to be displayed commercially. Read more about our work to stop the tiger trade.

Yes, correct! Tigers do not smell with their teeth and tongues, though this may look to be that case. Instead, tigers inhale scents by raising their lips, exposing their fangs and tongue, with a wrinkled nose, to draw the scent to the rooftop of their mouth to their Jacobson organ. This organ is a pouch-like structure located directly behind the front incisors. It functions through two small openings that direct scent particles from the air to nerves located within the structure. The nerves transmit the message to the part of the brain part of where scent is identified.

Yes, you are right! FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary is a project by FOUR PAWS, located in the Netherlands. Read more about FELIDA here.

Yes, you are right! Twenty big cats were transferred from FELIDA to LIONSROCK. Learn more about those animals here.

Yes, you are right! Tiger Tsezar was exploited in a private club in Ukraine as well as used for intensive breeding. Get to know Tsezar.

Yes, you are right! Lioness Elza is the older sister of lion Simba, together with their 5 younger siblings they were rescued from private keeping in Romania. Get to know Elza and Simba.

Yes, you are right! In January 2022 FOUR PAWS was contacted by the local authorities of Montenegro about a illegally kept lion cub that had escaped from private keeping and was roaming the streets near Budva on the Adriatic coast. After 10 days the starved and exhausted lion cub, who got the name Nikola, was rescued and brought to a temporary safe place. Read more about his rescue here.

Yes! That is correct. To avoid a suffering animal taken over by FOUR PAWS being replaced by another poor animal, FOUR PAWS seeks agreement with former owners and/or relevant authorities to refuse any further intake or breeding of big cats by the former owners. All FOUR PAWS sanctuaries and centres have a strict no-breeding policy, implemented by the application of contraceptive methods to prevent having more big cats that need to spend their lives in captivity instead of in the wild.