Hana Raza
Member since 2013.
Hana Ahmed Raza is an Iraqi Kurdish wildlife conservationist and the Founder and Chairperson of Leopards Beyond Borders. She has over 15 years of experience researching and conserving threatened wildlife in Iraq, with a particular focus on the Persian leopard. In 2011, she rediscovered the species and has since led long-term camera-trap research and conservation efforts in the Qara Dagh and Bamo Mountains. Together with her team, she documented Iraq’s only known breeding population and identified nine leopards in Bamo Mountain. Her work combines field research, community-led conservation, habitat protection, capacity building, and engagement with government authorities. Hana is a member of the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group and Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group, serves on the Persian Leopard Working Group’s Steering Committee, and is a Board member of SCB Asia. She has contributed to IUCN Red List assessments of the leopard and other wild cats. She is a National Geographic Explorer, 2022 Explorers Club 50 honoree, and recipient of the 2017 Future For Nature Award.
