This Halloween 2012, Nat Geo WILD is
challenging trick-or-treaters of all ages to help save big cats from
extinction by collecting money (along with their candy) for National
Geographic's Big Cats Initiative.
By trick-or-treating for big cats —
lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards and others — children across America
will be joining a community of explorers, conservationists and big cat
lovers around the world who want to save these magnificent creatures
from extinction... so we don't wind up talking about lions and tigers
the way we talk about dinosaurs.
On Halloween, kids around the
country can help National Geographic make a difference by becoming Big
Cat Ambassadors in their own neighborhood. Visit
www.causeanuproar.org
to learn more about the Trick-or-Treat for Big Cats campaign and
download fun and free resources — including trick-or-treat collection
wrappers, Big Cat O'Lantern carving sketches, costume ideas, big cat
masks, face paintings and more.
New this year, National Geographic has also launched the
Trick-or-Treat for Big Cats School Challenge to rally kids in the
classroom on a school-wide level. The program encourages group
participation and provides teachers and students with a fun, yet
meaningful, service-learning project. Schools that raise funds at
designated tier levels will receive educational thank-you gifts such as
wall-size world maps, illuminated desktop globes or a visit from a
National Geographic Big Cats expert.
Trick-or-Treat for Big Cats is one of the ways National Geographic
and its partners are committed to doing whatever it takes to help these
cats claw their way back to healthy, stable populations. The big cat
crisis is real and it's happening now. Africa's
lion population has declined by more than 90 percent in the last 50
years. There are now more tigers living in captivity than in the wild.
Cheetahs have disappeared from more than 75 percent of their range in Africa.
These top predators are quickly disappearing — victims of conflict
with humans and of habitat loss or degradation. Because big cats are
keystone species in their ecosystems, the loss of these majestic animals
also means that the natural balance of entire environments is
destroyed. National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative is a long-term
effort to halt the decline of these iconic animals in the wild. Money
collected from Trick-or-Treat for Big Cats will support timely and
effective conservation programs.
The initiative also includes the third annual Big Cat Week on Nat Geo WILD, premiering this December, as well as the Big Cats Sister School Program
which pairs US and African schools in a cross-cultural exchange between
students. These programs all support the work being done in the field
by 28 BCI Grantees, resulting in 28 projects in 14 countries.
So whether your favorite feline is the lion, tiger, puma, jaguar, leopard or cheetah, head over to
www.causeanuproar.org
to find out how you can collect coins for cats and make a difference this Halloween.
SOURCE and Image Credit: Nat Geo WILD
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