We wanted to start by saying thank you. We met many new faces this year. And, many of you came back again, which continues to leave us humbled.
Cat Expeditions exists because people like you choose to travel to wild places with us, often rising at ungodly hours, experiencing extreme temperatures and habitats, almost always without guarantees. We don’t take that lightly. This year was full, a little chaotic in the best way, and deeply meaningful.
So, what did this year deliver?
We ran 15 tours across 9 countries, in search of 18 different wild cat species.
The year moved like this:
- February – Snow Leopards
- March – Eurasian Lynx, Canada Lynx
- June – Manul (three trips)
- July – Jaguars
- September – Cats of Borneo (two trips)
- October – Zambia
- November – Serval and Caracal (two trips)
- December – Bobcats (two trips)
Out of the 18 possible targets, our guests were able to photograph 14 different wild cat species.
Some came easily. Some made us work for every inch. A few reminded us, sometimes painfully, that nothing here is owed (those Borneo cats are tough!).
We’re sitting on a backlog of trip reports right now, along with some truly beautiful images made by our guests and our team. Those are coming soon.
We donated $12,000 directly to wild cat conservation.
That number really matters to us. Thank you. You can read more about where these conservation funds went in our funding review post!
Our tours helped support more than 500 people.
These trips support a wide variety of roles, from drivers and trackers to local guides and hotel staff. This is a number we pay close attention to, and one of the clearest ways we measure success: tying conservation to real jobs, real effort, and real livelihoods around protecting these places and species.
We scouted 2 new tour destinations.
Behind the scenes, we also spent time scouting what’s next: three new target species we’re excited about and taking seriously:
- Sand Cat
- Chinese Mountain Cat
More on those soon, once they’re ready to be shared.
We added 2 talented trip leaders to our team.
We welcomed Chris Daniels and Andres Novales as new Trip Leaders. They bring different backgrounds, different instincts, and a shared respect for doing this work thoughtfully. We’re grateful to have them.
And hovering over everything else this year has been one big, ongoing effort: Chasing Cats—our attempt to photograph all 40 wild cat species by the end of next year. That project took us into some uncomfortable places (logistically and emotionally), and it was recently featured on CNN, which still feels a bit surreal.
We’re excited about what’s ahead, but growth for us still means saying no as often as we say yes. That’s why we’re taking our time with new trips—continuing to scout additional Sand Cat locations into 2026—and why we’ve chosen not to add additional Canada Lynx trips per year, for example, despite the demand. Some places are too fragile to push, and we want to listen when that’s the case.
Later this week, we’ll share what’s coming up in 2026, 2027 and 2028. For now, know that we’re already thinking ahead—carefully, deliberately, and with the same mix of excitement and passion that got us here in the first place.
Thank you for being part of this year with us.
We’re really glad you were.