Tigers, leopards, and jaguars love "Calvin Klein's Obsession for Men". The scent is used to attract animals to cameras in the wilderness, and was even a turn on for one pair of Jaguars who were subject to it.
Big Cats Are Obsessed With Calvin Klein Cologne
In the dense jungles and remote wilderness areas where big cats roam, wildlife researchers have discovered an unlikely tool for their camera traps: a bottle of Calvin Klein's Obsession for Men. Tigers, leopards, and jaguars can't resist the stuff, behaving like oversized house cats with catnip when they catch a whiff.
The cologne has become so effective that it's now a standard item in wildlife researchers' field kits, right alongside batteries and memory cards. The Wildlife Conservation Society and other organizations spray it near camera traps to guarantee big cat photo ops, and the results have been remarkable.
Why Does a 1980s Cologne Drive Wild Cats Crazy?
The secret lies in a compound called civetone, originally derived from the scent glands of civets (small carnivorous mammals). While modern perfumes use synthetic versions, the scent still mimics the territorial marking odors that big cats use to communicate.
When a tiger or jaguar encounters this smell, their brain interprets it as another cat's territorial marker. They respond by rubbing against the scented area, rolling around, and spending extended time investigating—sometimes even acting aroused or playful.
From Cologne Counter to Conservation Tool
Wildlife biologist Pat Thomas first noticed big cats' attraction to Obsession while working at the Bronx Zoo in the early 2000s. The discovery quickly spread through the conservation community, and researchers began field-testing various fragrances to see which worked best.
Obsession for Men consistently outperformed dozens of other scents, including other perfumes, pure civetone, and even traditional bait like meat or urine. In comparative tests, big cats would ignore camera traps with other lures but spend minutes investigating ones scented with the cologne.
When Attraction Gets... Frisky
In one memorable case, researchers studying jaguars in Guatemala observed a pair that became so stimulated by the cologne that they began mating near the camera trap. The footage provided valuable behavioral data, though it wasn't quite what the researchers had planned to document.
Similar responses have been recorded with tigers in India and leopards in Africa. The cats don't just investigate—they luxuriate in the scent, exhibiting behaviors ranging from playful to amorous.
The Science of Scent Attraction
Big cats have an incredibly sophisticated sense of smell, with specialized scent organs called vomeronasal organs that detect pheromones and chemical signals. The complex blend of musks in Obsession for Men triggers multiple receptors simultaneously, creating an irresistible sensory experience.
Other ingredients that contribute to the cologne's feline appeal include:
- Vanilla and amber – warm, sweet base notes similar to natural animal scents
- Synthetic musks – modern replacements for animal-derived compounds
- Spice compounds – coriander and cinnamon notes that add complexity
Conservation Impact
This quirky discovery has had serious scientific benefits. Better camera trap footage means more accurate population counts, improved understanding of territorial ranges, and valuable behavioral data. Organizations monitoring endangered species can now get reliable images without using bait that might alter the animals' natural behaviors or attract them to dangerous areas.
The cologne method is also non-invasive and long-lasting. A few spritzes can remain effective for weeks, much longer than food bait, and there's no risk of habituating wild cats to human-provided food sources.
So the next time you pass a Calvin Klein counter at the department store, remember: that fragrance marketed to attract humans is apparently even more effective at seducing some of the world's most magnificent predators. Wildlife conservation has never smelled so good.