Status and Ecological Effects of the World's Largest Carnivores

This sweeping review synthesized the global status of the world's largest carnivores, including big cats such as tigers, lions, and leopards, and documented that most are declining and have lost large portions of their ranges. Crucially, it assembled evidence that large carnivores exert powerful and far-reaching effects on ecosystems through their regulation of prey and competitors, with cascading consequences for vegetation, smaller animals, disease, and even physical landscapes. The authors argued that the loss of these predators carries ecological costs far beyond the species themselves, making their conservation a priority not only for biodiversity but for ecosystem function. The review became a touchstone for the scientific case that protecting large carnivores matters broadly. It matters because it elevated big cats and other top predators from charismatic symbols to keystone regulators whose decline undermines the integrity of ecosystems worldwide.