S2 E16: Luke Hunter

Charles and Jon talk to Luke Hunter, the director of the Big Cat Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society and one of the world’s leading experts on wild carnivore conservation. Luke discusses his work to protect Lions in west and central Africa, the reintroduction of Cheetahs in India, and a tragic story of Cheetah conservation in Iran. We also talk about the growing potential of wild cat eco-tourism around the world and how giving a child a set of toy zoo animals can spark a lifetime of mammal research (or mammalwatching in Jon’s case).

Luke has written hundreds of articles and eight books including Carnivores of the World which – we believe – every mammalwatcher should have in their library. Here’s an article about the Cheetah researchers whof are imprisoned in Iran. Cover art: Luke Hunter at work.