Dr Alan Rabinowitz, Panthera Co-Founder, Has Died

Panthera CEO and President, Dr. Fred Launay, said in a statement:

“The conservation community has lost a legend. Alan was a fearless and outspoken champion for the conservation of our planet’s iconic wild cats and wild places. As a lifelong voice for the voiceless, he changed the fate of tigers, jaguars and other at-risk species by placing their protection on the agendas of world leaders from Asia to Latin America for the very first time.

“Inspiring a generation of young scientists,” said Dr Launay, “the boldness and passion with which Alan approached conservation was captivating and contagious. While we are devastated by his passing, we are comforted by the fact that his extraordinary legacy of advocacy for the most vulnerable creatures will live on in his legion of students and followers.

“Our thoughts are with Alan’s wife Salisa and their children, Alexander and Alana, for whom Alan was a real-life superhero.”

“The big cats are some of the most spectacular, iconic, apex predators in the world. On the one hand, they inspire fear, wonder, and awe in the human psyche, while on the other, they stabilise and help balance the ecological food webs to which they belong.” – Dr. Alan Rabinowitz

For a number of decades, Dr Rabinowitz became known for his inspiring love of big cats – becoming particularly famous for his work with tigers and jaguars – and his ability to engross listeners with his passion and optimism was one of many powerful traits.

Recently, his conceptualisation and implementation of Panthera’s Jaguar Corridor Initiative, an unprecedented effort to connect and protect jaguars from Mexico to Argentina, and the establishment of the world’s first jaguar sanctuary in Belize have been the focus of his work. Previously, Dr. Rabinowitz “achieved victory after victory” for the tiger, says Panthera, “including the creation of the largest tiger reserve, the Hukaung Valley Tiger Reserve, in northern Myanmar.”

Read an interview with Panthera about their work with the elusive Clouded leopard.

The loss of one of the world’s leading conservationists is a hefty blow for work under way to protect big cats, but supporters of Panthera along with, of course, the colleagues Dr Rabinowitz leaves behind, will be working to ensure his legacy lives on.

To read more about his work, visit Panthera’s biography on their co-founder here.

To support their critical work, check out Panthera’s supporter page here.

Credits and captions for images, from top-down:
– Feature Image: Dr Alan Rabinowitz – Instagram.
– Clouded Leopard on Branch: Christian Sperka 2008 for Panthera. All Rights Reserved.