For the first time in over 120 years, the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Japan is being renovated. Over the course of three years, this important cultural monument will undergo critical maintenance and reconstruction. And so, Sou Fujimoto Architects were charged with creating a temporary hall that will welcome visitors during this time.

Set to be constructed in February 2023, the temporary hall's sloped roof will be filled with greenery that blends the structure into the natural landscape. One of the many plants situated on the roof is the plum tree. This plant was specifically chosen due to its special connection with Sugawara no Michizane, the 9th-century BCE scholar and poet who is enshrined here. He is now celebrated in the Shinto religion as the god of learning.

Sou Fujimoto was inspired by the legend of the “flying plum tree.” Toward the end of his life, Michizane, who was a court scholar, was demoted after the ruling Emperor abdicated the throne. The scholar was then forced to move from Kyoto to Dazaifu. He wrote several poems lamenting the fact that he'd miss the plum tree at his Kyoto home. The legend of the flying plum tree states that his beloved tree flew all the way to be with him in Dazaifu. That tree, now known as tobi-ume, is now located at Dazaifu Tenmangu.

The way in which the greenery is planted makes them seem to fly around the shrine. The strong visual impact of the plants will evolve as the color change through the seasons. As visitors step inside, they are greeted by a louvered ceiling inspired by an architectural element known as taruki (rafters). Also found in the main shrine, it is intended to evoke spatial solemnity. Once further inside, a skylight will often a view of the forest and surrounding sky as a way to transport guests into the world of Dazaifu Tenmangu.

Sou Fujimoto Architects has designed a temporary hall to greet visitors at the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.

The beloved Shinto shrine will be undergoing important renovations for the next three years.

Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. (Photo: ixuskmitl@hotmail.com/Depositphotos)

Sou Fujimoto: Website | Instagram | Twitter

All images © Sou Fujimoto Architects except where noted. My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Sou Fujimoto Architects.

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READ: Lush Roof at Japan’s Dazaifu Tenmangu Is Inspired by the Legend of the “Flying Plum Tree”

Using 42,000 bamboo shoots, Vo Trong Nghia Architects has created an impressive welcome center for the Grand World Phu Quoc. Sustainability is at the heart of the Vietnamese firm's design philosophy and this project is the culmination of its use of bamboo. Combining arches, domes, and grids, the firm has created a centerpiece for the resort with a design rooted in the country's culture.

With a footprint of over 15,000 square feet, the center cuts an imposing figure and is immediately noticeable as guests enter the resort area. Charged with designing a structure that embodies Vietnamese culture, the firm concentrated on two traditional symbols—the lotus and the bronze drum.

To put together the welcome center, the architects harnessed the knowledge they have cultivated when using bamboo in previous projects. They used a hybrid system with interlocking layers to create a stable structure that also feels open and allows natural light to filter in. Incredibly, all the bamboo is held together using only ropes and pins.

“The transparency of the space with the surrounding grid system, along with the arch pathway throughout the whole structure, link the inside and the outside,” shares the firm. “The light comes in beautifully and, along with the natural color of bamboo, creates a warm and intimate atmosphere, even though the structure is very open in terms of airflow.”

Within this precise grid, a lotus and drum have been sculpted using arches and domes. This contrast of soft and hard edges gives an element of surprise to people entering the space. And at night, when the structure is lit from within, a soft glow enhances the space and allows for a different perspective on the construction.

All told, the Grand World Phu Quoc Welcome Center is a stunning showcase for the architectural possibilities of bamboo. And it has allowed Vo Trong Nghia Architects to once again show that this low-cost, sustainable material can work well in the creation of cutting-edge, contemporary architecture.

Vo Trong Nghia Architects used 42,000 bamboo shoots to create a welcome center at a resort in Vietnam.

Grand World Phu Quoc asked the firm to create something that embodied Vietnamese culture.

So two important cultural symbols—the lotus and the bronze drum—were sculpted inside the structure.

The bamboo is held together using only ropes and pins—a feat of engineering.

For the firm—which is known for using the sustainable material in its architecture—the project is a culmination of its experience with bamboo.

Vo Trong Nghia Architects: Website | Facebook | Instagram

All images via Hiroyuki Oki. My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Vo Trong Nghia Architects.

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READ: 42,000 Bamboo Shoots Form Impressive Welcome Center at Vietnamese Resort

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If you walk into almost any kitchen around the world, one item you are sure to find is salt. But while this common household item is used daily, most of us give little thought to where it comes from. This is where photographer Tom Hegen comes in. For many years he has been taking aerial photos of salt ponds around the world. And now, he's collected the abstract visuals into a new book, aptly titled Salt Works.

Hegen's series of images focusing on salt basins spun out of a project on the industrial scars that man has left on our planet. “We have left our marks on the earth's surface in order to meet our daily needs,” Hegen told My Modern Met in 2018. “I am trying to sensitize the viewer for those subjects by taking a look at the extraordinary forces impacting our environment.”

While the results are visually striking, it is also important to remember that these are not natural landscapes. Created by salt mining, they take on an otherwordly feel. The colors and geometry are striking but are also a manipulation. Through Hegen's lens, they seem to blur the line and become almost painterly.

“These abstract structures are a school for our understanding of vision. Viewers have to get involved with the perspective and complex scenarios,” shares Hegen. “They have to learn to read and decipher the images in order to understand what they are seeing. This engagement ensures that the images will remain in one’s memory for longer.”

Salt Works is divided into seven chapters with 167 color photographs. Each chapter provides background information about the production sites and three essays written by experts in the fields of salt, Anthropocene, and art history to give additional context to the images.

The standard and collector's edition of Salt Works is available on the photographer's website and selected bookshops.

German photographer Tom Hegen has been taking aerial photos of salt basins for several years.

These abstract landscapes blur the line between photography and painting.

Hegen's new book Salt Works pulls together over 160 color photos and essays by experts in the field.

Tom Hegen: Website | Instagram | Behance 

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Tom Hegen.

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Scottish photographer Nick Sidle loves the creative opportunities that aerial photography provides. And in recent years, he's become a fan of drone photography, which provides more flexibility than having to organize shoots from airplanes or helicopters. His success in the field is exemplified by a recent image, in which he captured a rare full-circle rainbow.

Sidle was up at dawn taking photos in the Scottish Highlands when the opportunity presented itself. “Although, in theory, all rainbows optically are full circles, the true full circle phenomenon I have been told is rarely seen,” he tells My Modern Met. “From the ground, this rainbow although appearing closer than average, only looked like the usual half-circle. Watching the feed from the drone as it climbed steadily, the lower half was revealed. Personally, this was a first, even from the air I had never seen a full circle, full-scale rainbow.”

As the rainbow was so close, it wasn't possible to fit it all into one shot. Not wanting to risk breaking the illusion by changing the angle or losing the view through the clouds, Sidle made the decision to take multiple images. Later, using Photoshop's Photomerge command, he sewed together 22 photos to create the final image.

So why are full-circle rainbows so rare? As it's an optical illusion, several factors need to line up for the circle rainbow to come into view. Rainbows form when sunlight is scattered through water droplets in a phenomenon called refraction. This breaks up the light into different colors. In order to see the part of the rainbow on the ground—the other half of the circle—we would need to see water droplets below the horizon. As that's not possible, rainbows almost always appear as arcs.

To see a true full-circle rainbow, you need to be up high. In fact, it's most often pilots that observe the entire circle, as their high altitude and large viewing window are ideal. They can also be viewed from very tall buildings or, in this case, from a drone. In fact, Sidle only saw the arc from his perspective on the ground. It was all thanks to drone technology that he then got a view of something even more special.

Nick Sidle: Website | Flickr

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Nick Sidle.

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Architecture firm Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) has designed a cafe and observation tower to overlook the Tottori Sand Dunes. Located in Japan, these dunes stretch for nine miles and provide inspiration for the structure. Described by the firm as a “staircase to the sky,” the Tottori Takahama Café is a hybrid structure made from cross-laminated timber and reinforced concrete. The final effect is a sleek, modern design that also blends into its natural surroundings.

The two-story structure is separated into the ground-floor cafe and an upper-level observatory accessed by an exterior staircase. The sloped roof terminates in a pergola that provides filtered shade to visitors who sip their drinks on the roof terrace and take in the beauty of the scenery.

Thanks to the timber materials, both the interior and exterior exude warmth and blend into the sandy dunes. Always conscious of how to incorporate local culture, KKAA introduced Tottori's well-known folk crafts (mingei) into the interior. This local craftsmanship can be seen in the chairs made from cross-laminated timber and the lighting fixtures made from washi paper sprinkled with local sand. Green and black glazed sinks in the bathroom, created by a Tottori Mingei pottery workshop, complete the look.

The end result is a light-filled, visually pleasing place for visitors to refresh themselves while basking in the natural beauty of the Tottori Sand Dunes.

Kengo Kuma and Associates designed a cafe and observation tower overlooking Japan's Tottori Sand Dunes.

Made from cross-laminated timber and concrete, the structure blends into the landscape.

The interior includes nods to Tottori's well-known folk crafts (mingei).

Kengo Kuma and Associates: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Kengo Kuma and Associates.

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Denver will soon be home to America's first carbon-positive hotel. Developed by Urban Villages and designed by Studio Gang, Populus is a modern 265-room hotel that will open in late 2023. For the design, Studio Gang took inspiration from the patterns of Colorado's native Aspen trees, with the building's windows mimicking the trees' distinctive “Aspen Eyes.”

Situated in downtown Denver, the hotel will achieve its carbon-positive status thanks to its sustainable design and a unique off-site project. The hotel has committed to planting enough trees to represent over 5,000 acres of forest. This will offset an embodied carbon footprint equivalent to nearly 500,000 gallons of gas and remove additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“We’ve created Populus to be a catalyst for change and to meet the increasing preference by today’s consumers to travel responsibly, experience places in an authentic way, and connect more deeply with nature and each other,” says Jon Buerge, Chief Development Officer and Partner at Urban Villages. “An earth emergency demands that we strengthen our influence, and Populus is just the beginning.”

Populus is already off to a positive start, right from construction. Using low-carbon concrete, high-recycle content materials, and minimizing waste are all helping the hotel reach its carbon-positive goal. There is also no planned on-site parking, which will encourage visitors to take public transportation or use existing structures. This saves the hotel from having to build a parking garage, which requires the use of materials rich in carbon.

When thinking about the look of the hotel, Studio Gang turned to nature for its design inspiration. And the building's unique windows, not only recall the pattern of the Aspen tree but also help its energy efficiency. The “lids” over each window provide interior shade, which improves energy use. They also carefully funnel away rainwater to keep the building looking pristine.

As a benefit to guests, each room will have incredible views and the windows transform into seats or desks that invite them to enjoy the great outdoors—even when they're inside.

The hotel will also include a rooftop restaurant and bar that overlooks the mountains and city skyline, with the intent to immerse guests in nature. The rooftop will be open to the public and will be filled with regional vegetation, serving as a lush place for the community to socialize.

“We’ve designed Populus to be a new destination in downtown Denver that combines these environmental and social ambitions,” shared Jeanne Gang, founder of Studio Gang. “With its distinctive aspen eye windows, the building cultivates a lively pedestrian scene in its neighborhood, while simultaneously connecting you with views of the natural wonders beyond the city limits.”

When it opens in Denver in 2023, Populus with be the first carbon-positive hotel in the United States.

Architects Studio Gang took inspiration from the patterns on the native Aspen tree for the building.

Photo: urban_light/Depositphotos

These patterns show up in the hotel's windows, which are also energy efficient and channel rainwater away from the building.

The hotel will have a public rooftop bar and restaurant with sweeping views of the mountains.

Studio Gang: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Studio Gang.

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READ: America’s First Carbon-Positive Hotel Opening in Denver Is Inspired by Colorado’s Native Trees

In 1955, a six-lane highway in Houston sliced the city's Memorial Park in half—effectively isolating each side of the ecosystem. Now, over 65 years later, that damage will begin to be reversed thanks to a new land bridge designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. Dozens of species will once again be able to migrate across the nearly 1,500-acre park, which will be the largest urban park in the United States.

The eco-bridge has two massive tunnels that will begin to funnel traffic in February 2023. At that point, the architects will then focus on the surrounding landscape. This includes shaping an appropriate prairie network on the 45 acres that sits on top and surrounds the tunnels. As these types of wildlife bridges have had success around the globe, it's exciting to think of how Houston's land bridge will transform the environment.

The Memorial Park land bridge differs from others in the United States because it not only unites the park but has also been constructed to integrate stormwater management and water quality treatment. The project is an effort that involves many experts aside from the landscape architects. Civil engineers, structural engineers, scientists, fluvial geomorphologists, prairie experts, and urban biologists have all used their expertise to ensure that this infrastructure project will meet the needs of the community while also preserving the environment.

The utmost care was taken in the planning of the bridge, even down to the soil used to cover the tunnels. The soil was harvested from other land projects within Memorial Park, meaning that no earth had to be imported for the bridge. Once the landscape is complete, it will be a thriving Coastal Prairie ecosystem. According to Nelson Byrd Woltz, this ecosystem is one of North America's most endangered.

By selecting soils and deep-rooted Coastal Prairie plants with resiliency and the ability to slow and store stormwater in carefully calibrated channels and wetlands, the bridge and surroundings will provide a healthy environment for wildlife while keeping the area safe.

When the Memorial Park Land Bridge opens in early 2023, it will be the largest land bridge in Texas and begin working its magic to restore this prized urban park's environment.

Houston's soon-to-open Memorial Park Land Bridge will connect two sides of a six-lane highway built in the 1950s.

Experts across multiple disciplines worked to ensure the infrastructure project would also benefit the environment.

The land bridge will not only be a wildlife crossing, but it will allow all park visitors access across the 1,500-acre park.

A Coastal Prairie ecosystem will be cultivated on and around the bridge.

As home to rare species of flora and fauna, Texas' largest land bridge will benefit the community for generations to come.

Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects: Website | Instagram 

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architecture.

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This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please read our disclosure for more info.

As 2022 comes to a close, it's time to start planning the next 12 months and pick up a 2023 calendar. While many people keep track of their day-to-day activities on their iPhone, tablet, and other electronic devices, there's still something to be said for the power of paper. A good wall or desk calendar is not only a visual reminder of what's coming up, such as birthdays, but it can also brighten any home or office (or home office).

These days, there's a calendar for everyone, whether you're an art lover, an animal lover, fascinated by astronomy, or looking for the perfect gift. Many of these calendars provide you with monthly imagery that will inspire or even make you laugh. But whichever calendar you choose, each is sure to brighten the next year.

Check out our list of perfect calendar options for 2023 that you'll want to snatch up before the New Year, no matter what your interest.

Wall Calendars

Wall Calendars easily help keep track of important dates while adding the perfect decor for your home.

2023 Ansel Adams Calendar

Ansel Adams | $17.99

2023 Art Grid Calendar

Paper Source | $24.95

2023 Dark Forest Lunar Calendar

Bencia | $8.99

2023 Farmer's Market Calendar

John Burgoyne | $14.39

2023 Floral Ink Art Wall Calendar

Graphique | $14.50

2023 Boho Calendar

The Cozy Comfy Home | $49.95

2023 Flora & Fauna Calendar

Malin Gyllensvaan | $13.49

2023 American National Parks Calendar

AmericanFlat | $16.99

2023 Moon Phase Calendar

Many Pixels Decor | $12.99

2023 Illustrated Space Travel Theme Calendar

Anderson Design Group | $13.98

2023 Illustrated Desert Sun Calendar

Once Upon a Tuesday | $21.05

2023 Viva La Femme Wall Calendar

Graphique | $14.65

2023 Wall Art Calendar

Snow & Graham | $47

2023 Illustrated Shades of Green Calendar

Fox Hollow Studios | $18+

2023 Artful Cat Calendar

Endre Penovac | $13.49

2023 Illustrated Jane Austen Calendar

MiniPress | $26.40+

2023 Botanical Art Wall Calendar

Group Erik | $13.99

2023 Extraordinary Chicken Calendar

Stephen Green-Armytage | $15.99

2023 Vincent Van Gogh Calendar

Journaltastic | $15.99

2023 Romantic Skeletons Calendar

Jumo Art | $22.97

2023 Illustrated Robot Calendar

Yeesan Loh | $20+

2023 Illustrated Travel Destinations Calendar

Amber Davenport | $28.07

Desk Calendars

Desk Calendars feature a built-in easel for a fresh, fun, and stylish display on your desktop, table, or bookshelf.

2023 Abstract Illustrated Desk Calendar

Favorite Story | $14+

2023 Wooden Desktop Calendar

Bobby Creativity | $26.90

2023 Colorful Art Desk Calendar

ban.do | $16.95

Page-A-Day Calendars are a great way to have your daily dose of colorful artwork or an inspirational quote.

2023 Colorful Illustration Page-A-Day Calendar

Workman Calendars | $15.29

2023 What She Said Page-A-Day Calendar

Willow Creek Studio Co | $16.99

Never buy another calendar with these perpetual calendars.

Watercolor  Perpetual Calendar

Annet Weelink Design | $29.99

Artsy Perpetual Calendar

FavoriteStory | $24

Mondrian Composition Perpetual Calendar

MET | $25

This article has been edited and updated.

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Challenged by a private art collector to upgrade the art displays in his gallery, Enter Projects Asia has created a dynamic, fluid space using rattan. The Thai firm is known for its use of this local, sustainable material that grows in abundance. And in order to transform the Chiang Mai gallery as the owner requested, the studio created a warm, immersive experience that is quite different than a typical white box gallery.

As the art gallery has several different pavilions enclosed by intricate gardens, the firm explored ways to tie the entire space together. By blending 3D geometries with traditional Thai craftsmanship, the result is a sumptuous, sculptural form that weaves its way through the gallery. Visitors are able to get a different perspective on the space depending on their position within the gallery, as the form is always shifting and moving.

To create the design, Enter Projects Asia used special software that simulated the movement of clouds and steam. These ribbons and clouds of rattan then weave their way seamlessly through different zones, culminating in a series of pod structures that serve as armatures for the new collection.

By using rattan, Enter Projects Asia is giving a nod to the cultural heritage of Thailand and helping revive the local economy while also remaining sustainable.

“Rattan is an ideal choice; it is one of the fastest growing plants in the world so it's incredibly sustainable,” the firm's director Patrick Keane tells My Modern Met. “It's also flexible and can be used for many purposes and spaces. It is a reference to South East Asian culture and years of rattan craftsmanship, warm in color with great tactility and durability.”

“We also wish to revive the declining rattan industry, so many rattan workers are put out of business by the importation of inferior plastic products, catastrophic to the industry as well as the environment.”

To that end, the firm has created Project Rattan, which produces bespoke furniture, lighting designs, and architectural projects. In doing so, they hope that more people will see the benefits of using rattan.

“It is not hard to be sustainable in construction if we adapt to our environment,” shares Keane. “Why would we use synthetic, toxic plastics when we have all the noble materials we need at our fingertips?”

A Thai architecture firm used rattan to transform a private collector's Chiang Mai art gallery.

Using forms based on clouds and trails of steam, the sculptural rattan joins together different pavilions.

Visitors get a different perspective on the space when viewing the work from different angles.

Enter Projects Asia often uses rattan in their work, as this sustainable material grows in abundance in South East Asia.

“Why would we use synthetic, toxic plastics when we have all the noble materials we need at our fingertips?”

Enter Projects Asia: Website | Instagram

All images via William Barrington-Binns. My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Enter Projects Asia.

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A female puma, surrounded by her cubs, ever on the lookout for prey in the Chilean Patagonia. Contributed by Angela Ambrosini (Photo: Angela Ambrosini/Panthera)

The world’s leading wild cat conservation organization, Panthera, is celebrating progress in saving these animals and their habitats by releasing its first annual Picture Purrfect list. This list highlights the 22 best camera trap and professional images from 2022 that showcase wild cats, their threats, the beautiful ecosystems they call home, the challenges of life and conservation in the field, and the courageous scientists and rangers working to protect them.

Founded in 2006, Panthera operates in 39 countries to reduce or eliminate the most pressing threats to cheetahs, jaguars, leopards, lions, pumas, snow leopards, tigers, and the 33 small cat species. The images on the Picture Purrfect list reflect their incredible projects in different countries.

From a female puma surrounded by her cubs in the Chilean Patagonia to the collaring of a jaguar in the Brazilian Pantanal, the photographs paint a rich picture of wild cats today. The photos don't shy away from the struggles these animals face, but they also remind us of the majestic creatures that need our help.

Both ends of the spectrum are a reminder of the world that Panthera hopes we can live in. This world is one where “wild cats thrive in healthy, natural, and developed landscapes that sustain people and biodiversity.”

The world’s leading wild cat conservation organization, Panthera, has put together a list of their favorite wild cat photos.

A collared lioness rolls on her back in Senegal's Niokolo Koba National Park. This lioness and five others are the first lions collared in the Park in an ambitious effort to recover the Critically Endangered species. This lioness was given the nickname ‘Flo,' and with her collared sister in the background, these lionesses now form the largest of the Park's prides. Among other conservation activities, a team from Panthera and Senegal's Department of National Parks track collared lions using VHF in order to collect data on their pride structure and investigate GPS clusters in order to collect data on lion kills and their prey selection. Contributed by Kristoffer Everatt (Photo: Panthera/Senegal/Everatt)

African Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantation bordering primary tropical rainforest in Tangkulap Forest Reserve, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. Malaysian Borneo, where Panthera carries out monitoring and conservation efforts, is home to five wild cat species – the Sunda clouded leopard, bay cat, fishing cat, the marbled cat, and the flat-headed cat. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Sebastian Kennerknecht/Panthera)

A two-year-old female jaguar nicknamed “Sophia” being collared in the Brazilian Pantanal in June, 2022, weighing in at 55.3k. “Sophia” represents the first female to be collared as part of the Panthera Jaguar Program's long-term demographic study of jaguars throughout their range. To understand ecosystem requirements for females and their offspring, scientists must study their habitat use and movements, along with conducting long-term analysis of their survival and causes of their mortality. The team is tracking female cub production, survival and — eventually — dispersal of young adults as they leave their mother and set out to establish their own territories. Once this is in motion, we will better understand why female jaguars select certain places for den sites (to safeguard their young, vulnerable cubs) and kill sites as they secure food for their growing, weaning cubs.
“Sophia” was born to a resident female jaguar, locally named as “Pixána”, and she is the littermate of another two-year-old female jaguar known as “Fênix”. “Pixána” has been known to local tourists since 2018. Both cubs were identified in 2020, around the same time as fires burned nearly a third of the Pantanal. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Wai-Ming Wong/Panthera)

A camera trap photo of a serval attempting to catch prey in Kafue, Zambia, where Panthera's work focuses on protecting wild cat source populations, minimizing mortalities at the human-wildlife interface and restoring and protecting connectivity between wild cat populations. We currently support 17 anti-poaching teams, two dedicated lion monitoring and protected teams and one leopard monitoring team across Kafue National Park and surrounding Game Management Areas. These teams operate within four intensive protection zones and from four dedicated anti-poaching protection and support bases. We use SMART and Earth Ranger technology for adaptive management and conducting wildlife monitoring across the whole system to ensure our adaptive management activities are impactful and evidence-based. Our “Halo Approach” delivers focal protection for key individuals and groups to boost survival and recruitment during times of challenge. This includes two lion monitoring and protection teams. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Panthera)

The first annual Picture Purrfect list highlights camera trap and professional images that show wild cats, their threats, and and ecosystems.

An ocelot is collared in the Brazilian Pantanal to understand more about the species' threats, prey base, movements, behavior and more. Contributed by Raissa Sepulvida (Photo: Steven Bobzien)

A camera trap snaps a photo of a Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) hunting at night near Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailand.
Recently, a team from Panthera and partners set camera traps and collared three fishing cats to understand more about the species' home range size, use of habitat fragmented by shrimp farms and fish ponds, threats and prey. May, 2022. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Sebastian Kennerknecht/Panthera)

Cobras, like the one pictured here, represent one of many challenges facing conservationists working in partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Royal Commission for AlUla to restore Arabian leopards to the region. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Panthera)

Wildlife rangers from Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and Panthera trek through dense undergrowth in Thailand. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: DNP/Panthera)

A survey of a market in Tamale, northern Ghana reveals a plethora of wildlife skins and other products, including those of lions and leopards. Poaching for the illegal wildlife trade is a grave threat facing the survival of wild cats, and particularly the largest of their kind – tigers, lions, jaguars, snow leopards, leopards, pumas and cheetahs. Contributed by Marine Drouilly (Photo: Marine Drouilly/Panthera)

A rare image of a Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps) at night, Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia.
This is one of the world’s rarest and most endangered cats, which earned its name from its flattened forehead. It has rarely been observed in the wild. They are at risk from habitat loss and illegal trade and are considered Southeast Asia’s most threatened small felid. Although classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, some scientists believe that there may be more flat-headed cats out there than we’ve caught on camera.
In partnership with local NGOs, Panthera is currently conducting flat headed cat surveys in two areas in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo to understand their population numbers and how they are responding to threats such as logging, poaching, and agricultural development. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Sebastian Kennerknecht/Panthera)

The stunning cloud forest of Borneo, Malaysia, where Panthera and partners are currently conducting flat-headed cat surveys in two regions of Sabah to understand their population numbers and how they are responding to threats such as logging, poaching, and agricultural development.
The flat-headed cat is one of the world’s rarest and most endangered, and earned its name from its flattened forehead. It has rarely been observed in the wild. The species is at risk from habitat loss and illegal trade and is considered Southeast Asia’s most threatened small feline. Although classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, some scientists believe that there may be more flat-headed cats out there than we’ve caught on camera. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Sebastian Kennerknecht/Panthera)

Founded in 2006, Panthera operates in 39 countries and works to protect cheetahs, jaguars, leopards, lions, pumas, snow leopards, tigers, and the 33 small cat species.

A puma rests on a rock where mountains meet the sea in the Chilean Patagonia. 2022. Contributed by Nicolas Lagos (Photo: Nicolas Lagos /Panthera Nicolas Lagos)

The first record in Senegal of a female lion with four cubs, documented in Niokolo Koba National Park (NKNP), where the species is classified as Critically Endangered. Records like this would have been thought impossible a decade ago, but thanks to persistent anti-poaching and scientific monitoring from Senegal's Department of National Parks and Panthera, NKNP has more than doubled its lion population in a decade. Senegal's DPN and Panthera recently obtained an estimate of 29 lions currently occurring in the park, up from a population of only 12-16 lions surviving in the park in 2011. All known adult females have been successfully breeding in 2021 and 2022, with proof provided in this beautiful record taken in November 2022. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Panthera/Senegal DPN)

A collection of elephant tusks, wire snares, gin traps and other poaching paraphernalia confiscated by Panthera-trained and led Community Game Guards in Luengue-Luiana National Park, Angola. Contributed by Willem Nieman (Photo: Wian Nieman/Panthera)

A hyena carries remains of a kill in Luengue-Luiana National Park, Angola 2022. Panthera is carrying out comprehensive conservation, law enforcement, lion and other wildlife monitoring, education and community outreach efforts in the region following a devastating civil war. Contributed by Willem Nieman (Photo: Wian Nieman/Panthera)

A jaguar moments before it roughly inspected Panthera's camera trap in the Brazilian Pantanal. In this landscape, jaguars serve as a huge ecotourism draw where visitors are guaranteed to see the species along the riverbanks. Panthera works in this region to monitor jaguars, including collaring the study's first female jaguar this year, and mitigate conflict between ranchers and jaguars hungry to feed on cattle. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Panthera)

The webbed foot of an anesthetized Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is inspected by biologist Supawat Khaewphakdee during a collaring expedition in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailand.
The fishing cat's paws are partially webbed, and claws do not retract. Their name gives away one of their talents — catching fish. Sometimes, they will patiently fish at the bank of ponds, streams, and rivers, but they also go swimming to catch their fish prey, and when they do, it’s thought that their short tails help act as a rudder. However, their name shouldn’t fool you — they also hunt a variety of other prey species, including small animals like mice and birds.
During this expedition, a team from Panthera and partners collared three fishing cats to understand more about the species home range size, use of habitat fragmented by shrimp farms and fish ponds, threats and prey. May, 2022. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Sebastian Kennerknecht/Panthera)

A beautiful young female leopard photographed at night in Niokolo Koba National Park, Senegal. This image was snapped during a lion collaring expedition in 2021 and 2022 that resulted in the collaring of the first ever (and six total) lions in Senegal for conservation monitoring and research.
Leopards have the largest geographic range of any of the big cats. However, they are confronted with a wide suite of threats ,from loss of prey and habitat to direct poaching for their skins. Niokolo Koba National Park may contain west Africa’s largest population of leopards and Panthera’s work in the park is helping to ensure that this young female and her entire population are protected. Contributed by Kristoffer Everatt (Photo: Panthera/Senegal/Everatt)

The first puma collared in the Chilean Patagonia by Panthera and partners in 2022. Contributed by Ross Rosenthal (Photo: Caitlin Kupar-Panthera)

Fall, the wildlife veterinarian for Senegal's Niokolo Koba National Park (NKNP), removes a porcupine quill from an anesthetized lioness's face in Senegal. On the last day of an expedition in which the Park's first lions were collared, a team from Senegal's Department of National Parks and Panthera found this lone, young and skinny lioness. She appeared to have become separated from her pride and was not able to hunt on her own. A closer look showed that she had a face full of porcupine quills, which were preventing her from eating. Her chances of survival were very low. Knowing that over her life, the lioness could make a significant contribution to the recovery of this Critically Endangered population, the team removed the quills from her mouth and face, disinfected her wounds and administered antibiotics. She was left with a few days worth of meat and chance at a new life. While too small to fit with a GPS collar, the team took genetic samples and hope to one day meet her and her offspring. Contributed by Kristoffer Everatt (Photo: Panthera/Senegal/Everatt)

Paddlers on the Nalikwanda Royal Barge and members of the Lozi community in Zambia wearing Panthera's ‘Heritage Furs'.
Panthera and the Barotse Royal Establishment of the Lozi people joined forces to launch Saving Spots — a conservation initiative in western Zambia that seeks to preserve rich cultural traditions while protecting declining wild cat populations using synthetic leopard, serval and lion furs, known as Heritage Furs.
Every year, hundreds of Lozi community members participate in traditional ceremonies, most notably the Kuomboka Festival, a massive gathering on the Barotse Floodplains to escort His Majesty the Lozi King, or Litunga, between palaces by Royal barge. Traditionally, nearly 200 paddlers wear lipatelo, which are elaborate, full-length skirts made of leopard, serval and other animal furs, and lion-mane trimmed berets, known as mishukwe.
Since 2019, with the launch of Saving Spots, the Barotse Royal Establishment have received over 750 Panthera-created synthetic leopard and serval fur lipatelo and 600 synthetic lion-mane mishukwe, which will replace the use of authentic furs by paddlers and, we expect, will help significantly reduce the hunting of hundreds of wild cats across southern Africa where the species are already severely threatened.
Supported by Peace Parks Foundation and Cartier, Panthera worked closely with digital designers to develop the Heritage Furs which were designed and endorsed by His Majesty the Lozi King and His Royal Highness Senior Chief Inyambo Yeta. Since the launch of the project, the Heritage Furs have received overwhelming support among the Lozi community, with the Litunga even banning the use of authentic wild cat skins at all future Lozi gatherings. Contributed by Danielle Garbouchian (Photo: Gareth Whittington-Jones/Panthera)

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