Atlas Mountains Barbary Leopard Expedition

📍 Location: High Atlas Mountains Morocco
Dates: May 29 - June 10, 2026
Cost: ~$3,000 per participant
 Participants Needed: 8 - Wildlife Biologists, Support,  Medic, Journalist
 Difficulty: Challenging
Who Can Apply: Anyone
Application Deadline: April 10, 2026
Desired Skills:

• Wildlife Biologists
   
• Medic: CPR certification or wilderness medicine experience
   
• Journalist: science writing, photography/video encouraged

This 12-day scientific expedition will traverse multiple regions of the Atlas Mountains to investigate the possible continued presence of the Barbary leopard (Panthera pardus), a historically documented population of African leopard once native to Morocco and Algeria. By the mid-20th century, widespread persecution, loss of prey, and expanding human activity caused a rapid population collapse. By the 1980s, only scattered reports remained, and by the 1990s the absence of verifiable evidence led many researchers to consider the Barbary leopard locally extinct or reduced to an extremely small, undetected population. However, the remoteness of parts of the Atlas and the species’ elusive behavior leave open the possibility that isolated individuals may still persist.

The confirmation of any physical or photographic evidence of a surviving leopard would be of high scientific value. Even a single verified detection would help clarify the species’ current status, refine habitat models, and guide conservation priorities in the Atlas Mountains. Large carnivores play an important ecological role, and understanding whether leopards remain part of this system has direct implications for land management, prey populations, and human–wildlife coexistence. Given that leopards worldwide have lost a significant portion of their historical range, documenting the edge of that range is essential for informed conservation planning.

The expedition will operate across three separate regions of the Atlas Mountains, hiking into remote areas identified through historical records, habitat suitability, and local knowledge. Field teams will establish temporary base camps to conduct systematic surveys, deploy camera traps, and assess habitat and prey presence using established wildlife monitoring methods. Engagement with local communities will be incorporated to document observations, understand current land use, and build a clearer picture of potential human–carnivore interactions.

Throughout the expedition, logistics and recovery periods will be built in, including a minimum of three nights in hotel accommodations spaced across the itinerary. These periods will allow for equipment maintenance, preliminary data review, and coordination with local partners.

This expedition is intended to produce verifiable data that can contribute to ongoing conservation discussions in the Atlas Mountains. Whether the outcome confirms persistence or absence, the findings will help establish a clearer scientific baseline for future research and conservation efforts in the region.