Big Cats in a Changing World: Ecology, Conservation, and Coexistence

Big Cats are among the most charismatic, and most endangered, mammal groups on Earth. As top predators and keystone species, they act as natural coordinators of the ecological connections within their ecosystems. Their obligate carnivory and large body size make coexistence with people difficult, and human activity has reduced their numbers for centuries, a decline that has greatly accelerated during the Anthropocene. Their unique position means that their decline rarely happens in ecological isolation. The irony is sharp: we are the single greatest cause of their decline, yet we prize them culturally, economically, and politically. That regard has fueled a level of public and scientific interest in Big Cat conservation that few other endangered mammals enjoy. Alongside it sits a genuine scientific question: how does Big Cat biology itself shift under intense, often harmful, human pressure?This Research Topic aims to advance our understanding of how Big Cat biology (morphology, behavior, ecology, genetics) is changing under today’s anthropogenic pressures, and to translate that understanding into conservation gains. New tools in science and technology, from AI-assisted monitoring to genetic engineering, are opening fresh ways to study both the biology and the conservation of these species, and recent advances make this a timely moment to consolidate progress. We invite contributions spanning the full range of relevant work, from foundational Feline biology to applied socio-economic and political studies of conservation. Hypothesis-driven research is encouraged, and we equally welcome case studies and descriptive work where they meaningfully advance our understanding of Big Cat biology and conservation in a changing world. Our goal is a collection that connects rigorous science to real conservation outcomes.By “Big Cats” we mean species comparable to, or larger than, the bobcat. We welcome original research, reviews, and case studies on themes including, but not limited to:Population dynamics, habitat connectivity, and movement ecologyBehavioral change in the wild and in captivityMorphological, physiological, and genetic changeHuman–Big Cat conflict and managementBreeding, health, and welfare in captivityInnovative conservation tools (AI, assisted breeding, genetic engineering)Socio-economic and political dimensions of Big Cat conservationEcological connectivity with prey and the wider ecosystemReintroduction and translocation projectsComparative studies of Big Cats with small cats or similar-sized carnivores (e.g. canids, mustelids), and ecosystem-based analyses of their role as keystone and umbrella species; an area with strong potential for rapid, collaborative publication drawing on existing datasets Topic editors: Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Anna Yachmennikova Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81865/big-cats-in-a-changing-world-ecology-conservation-and-coexistence