Some images of big cats from the genus Panthera - the tiger, lion, jaguar and leopard, defined as great cats or those with the ability to roar.
Poaching, mainly to supply the Chinese traditional medicine market, game hunting, habitat loss and habitat degradation are just some of the challenges faced by these magnificent big cats.
Some other species of what are sometimes considered big cats are not able to roar, these include the cheetah and snow leopard.
IUCN Red List classifications: Tiger (Panthera tigris) = Endangered; Lion (Panthera leo) = Vulnerable; Jaguar (Panthera onca) = Near Threatened; Leopard (Panthera pardus) = Near Threatened.
Panthera tigris - Tiger image via Shutterstock
Some Related Tiger Stories:
Male lion (Panthera leo) eating a giraffe - lion image via Shutterstock
Some Related Lion Stories:
Leopard (Panthera pardus) in a tree - Leopard image via Shutterstock
Related Leopard Story:
Panthera onca in the Amazon jungle - Jaguar image via Shutterstock
Some Jaguar Related Stories: