Research overview: protected areas and large carnivore persistence

This overview surveys research examining how well protected areas sustain large carnivore populations and which reserve characteristics predict persistence. Studies show that reserve size, connectivity, prey abundance, edge pressure, and management intensity all influence whether big cats endure, and that small, isolated reserves embedded in hostile landscapes frequently lose their carnivores over time. Researchers analyze extinctions and persistences across reserve networks to identify thresholds and design principles, such as the need for reserves large enough to hold viable populations or connected enough to function as metapopulations. The overview also considers the disproportionate role of a few large, well-managed reserves in holding most remaining big cats. It matters because it translates protected-area theory into concrete guidance for carnivore conservation, clarifying that not all reserves are equal and that design and management determine whether a protected area actually keeps its predators.