1. African Lion Cub

Photograph by Beverly Joubert.

An African lion cub rests in the tall grasses of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Once ranging across the African continent and into Syria, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and even northwest India, lions have declined to as few as 20,000 animals from about 450,000 just 50 years ago.

2. Asiatic Leopard Cub

Photograph by Steve Winter.

An Asiatic leopard cub in the Hukawng Valley in Myanmar (Burma) became an orphan after hunters killed its mother to sell her body parts for use in traditional medicine. In 2010, the entire valley—about the size of Vermont—was designated by the government of Myanmar as a tiger sanctuary, a major conservation step that protects big cats and other rare species throughout the territory.

3. Lion Cubs Playing

Photograph by Beverly Joubert.

Lion cubs play in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Loss of habitat, prey decline, pesticides, and even canine distemper and tuberculosis have caused lion numbers to quickly decline across Africa.

4. King Cheetah Cub

Photograph by Chris Johns.

Still just a prince, a rare king cheetah is the result of a recessive gene. Except for darker, elongated spots, king cheetahs are genetically identical to other cheetahs. The genetic homogeneity of cheetah populations may make them more vulnerable to disease.

5. African Lion Cub

Photograph by Beverly Joubert.

An African lion cub crouches in tall grass in the Okavango Delta. African lions are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

6. Cheetah Family

Photograph by Chris Johns.

Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa. It is estimated that only 7,500 of these big cats remain, and those are under pressure as the wide-open grasslands they favor are disappearing at the hands of human settlers.

7. Yawning Lion Cub

Photograph by Beverly Joubert.

A small lion cub yawns while resting with its pride in Savuti, Botswana. Cubs join prides when they can move well enough to keep up—after about three months. Lions are unique among big cats in forming groups.

8. African Lion Cub

Photograph by Beverly Joubert.

A young lion cub climbs on a fallen tree limb in Botswana. Scientists connect the drastic decreases in lion numbers in many cases to burgeoning human populations.

9. Leopard Cub

Photograph by Beverly Joubert.

A leopard cub rests near its mother in the Okavango Delta. Though the leopard is the most widespread of all big cats, many of their populations are endangered, especially those outside Africa.

10. Tiger Mother and Cubs

Photograph by Michael Nichols.

A Bengal tiger called Sita gives her cubs an early morning bath in India’s Bandhavgarh National Park. The ritual helps cement a crucial maternal bond. Over the last hundred years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced tiger populations from hundreds of thousands of animals to perhaps fewer than 4,000.

11. Lion Cubs Playing

Photograph by Beverly Joubert.

African lion cubs play in the grass in the Okavango Delta. Conservationists estimate that unless the current decline is checked, the number of lions will continue to drop significantly.

12. African Lion Cub

Photograph by Beverly Joubert.

An African lion cub stands on a mound of soil in the Okavango Delta. Geographically isolated lion populations can lead to inbreeding and a lack of genetic diversity, further endangering the species.

13. Leopard Mother and Cub

Photograph by Beverly Joubert.

A leopard takes hold of her dangling cub in the Okavango Delta. The leopard is so strong and comfortable in trees that it often hauls its kills into the branches.

14. Mother Tiger and Cub

Photograph by Juniors Bildarchiv.

Three of the eight tiger subspecies became extinct in the 20th century, hunted as trophies and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered.

15. African Lion and Cub

Photograph by Beverly Joubert.

An African lion rests with her cub in the Okavango Delta. As human populations in sub-Saharan Africa expand, the amount of hunting space and habitats for lions decreases.