«Cats, as every cat enthusiast knows, are the pinnacle of evolution.» What a dear friend of mine meant when he used this phrase to open an international cat symposium in Bern a few years ago was that large predators, and in particular wild living cat species represent a peak in the current global biodiversity when it comes to biological specialisation. This also means that wild living cat species are among the life forms most threatened by changes to their habitats. Yet throughout their ranges, wild cats - from the tiny Black-footed cat in the southern Kalahari to the massive tigers of the Russian Far-east - fulfill the role of charismatic ambassadors for species conservation.

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this gallery contains a selection of my favourite images of wild cat species. While some of these animals are relatively easy to encounter in the wild, extending this gallery with additional species and sub-species will be my main photographic challenge for years to come!