Alan Rabinowitz, Ph.D.

CEO, Panthera Foundation for Wild Cat Conservation; Created the world's largest tiger reserve and established the world's first jaguar reserve

Alan Rabinowitz is a world-renowned big cat conservationist who created the world’s first jaguar reserve (in Belize) after being the first scientist to place radio collars on jaguars to monitor their movements and document the jaguar’s territorial needs. Alan’s pioneering work was highlighted in the National Geographic film In search of the Jaguar. Alan's tangible dream is to create a "Jaguar Corridor" which connects pieces of jaguar habitat from lower Mexico, through Central America, and through South America all the way to Argentina – to ensure the vitality of jaguars as a species – forever.

Alan also created the world’s largest tiger reserve, in Myanmar (Burma) – convincing that nation’s military rulers to set aside wild land for tigers equal in size to the state of Vermont – after ten years of dedicated scientific research, diplomatic persuasion, and fierce determination in face of overwhelming odds. Alan then made the risky 4-day hike to remote jungle hideouts of the rebel militia fighting Myanmar’s military government, earning the trust of rebel leaders, and convincing these rebels not to kill tigers in the newly created reserve. He has been called The Indiana Jones of Wildlife Conservation.

SAYS ALAN:

“I don’t think anyone has the vision for the big cats that I do now. I’m the only one trying to save species on a range-wide level – everywhere they exist, rather than in isolated pockets. For example, save tigers every place they occur – or the idea of a jaguar corridor [that links jaguar habitat from Mexico to Argentina] – because they think it just seems impossible. But it is not.

Why is it that a passionate businessman wouldn’t think twice about saying ‘I’m going to corner the market’ – yet you never hear a scientist saying ‘I’m going to save all of this species of animal.’

Because what else means anything? How else are you going to save animals without saving them everywhere? Or else what you are going to have is an industrialized world with small pockets or parks where individual, saved animals live isolated, in small presences – like in theme parks. This has happened in India already – where you have national parks with strict protection, but if the tigers leave the park, they’re dead.”