Back in 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed March 3, the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.
Now in it's 5th year, World Wildlife Day will take place on Saturday March 3, and will be celebrated in 2018 under the theme “Big Cats: Predators Under Threat".
Big cats are among the most widely recognized and admired animals across the globe. However, today these charismatic predators are facing many and varied threats, which are mostly caused by human activities. Overall, their populations are declining at a disturbing rate due to loss of habitat and prey, conflicts with people, poaching and illegal trade. For example, tiger populations plummeted by 95% over the past 100 years and African lion populations dropped by 40% in just 20 years. But a range of measures are underway to arrest this decline.
In an effort to reach as wide an audience as possible, the expanded definition of big cats is being used, which includes not only lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar -- the 4 largest wild cats that can roar - but also cheetah, snow leopard, puma, clouded leopard, etc. Big cat species are found in Africa, Asia, and North, Central and South America, representing a virtually global distribution, and representations of big cats, such as for car logos, by sporting clubs and the fashion industry, are used globally.
Over the past century we have been losing big cats, the planet’s most majestic predators, at an alarming rate. World Wildlife Day 2018 gives us the opportunity to raise awareness about their plight and to galvanize support for the many global and national actions that are underway to save these iconic species. Through World Wildlife Day, big cats will generate the level of attention they all deserve to be sure they are with us for generations to come.
Here at beyondBeanie, we are also playing our part in supporting such an important cause. Through our beautiful Wildlife Conservation Awareness bracelet pack, as well as our Save The Turtles and Save The Birds bracelet packs, you can not only purchase some stylish, handmade products, but also support some great causes at the same time. Proceeds from the purchase of each bracelet pack are donated to charities and organizations which support these amazing initiatives.
Governments, law makers, enforcement officers, customs officials and park rangers across every region are scaling up their efforts to protect wildlife. It is also up to every citizen, young and old, to protect wildlife and their habitats. We all have a role to play. Our collective conservation actions can be the difference between a species surviving or disappearing.
Written by Steve Connors
steve@beyondbeanie.org
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