Wild Cats Conservation Alliance

Wild Cats Conservation Alliance's mission is to save wild tigers and Amur leopards for future generations by funding carefully chosen projects. Wild Cats Conservation Alliance is a zoo initiative created to ensure funds raised towards the conservation of wild Amur tigers and leopards is optimally used to maximise the protection of the species. Independent projects encompassing threat reduction, population monitoring, education and community outreach are reviewed by the initiative and identified as vital areas for organisations like Blackpool Zoo to have a substantial impact

The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris tigris, formerly known as the Siberian tiger) is one of the largest cats in the world and today, fewer than 500 can be found in the Russian Far East with a small number ranging across the border into China and possibly North Korea. The population has taken a devastating blow as a result of habitat loss due to logging, hunting and removal of prey, and the illegal wildlife trade. Tigers are highly valued in the traditional medicine market (extending across South-East Asia) where they are poached for their skin, blood and bone which is worked into traditional medicine practices.