Man-Animal Interaction: Conflict & Coexistance

[Spalea]

Beverly Joubert: " Tall grass, glowing golden in the afternoon sun, provides the perfect cover for a tawny coated cat. Momentarily distracted by a flash of movement on the horizon, this male struck the perfect pose before melting into his auburn surroundings. We have spent much of our lives with lions, documenting the big cats in all their unfettered glory, but today they face extraordinary threats as a result of human activity. Poaching, habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and trophy hunting have all played a part in decimating lion populations leaving the predators with just 6% of their former range on which to eke out an existence. For a dose of perspective, since the “The Lion King” film premiered in theatres in 1994, lion numbers have dropped by 50%. If we are to save these iconic cats, it is critical that we act now. We partnered with National Geographic in 2009 to create the Big Cats Initiative in an effort to halt the decline of not only lions, but other key feline predators as well. The project supports conservation initiatives in 28 countries that tackle the myriad threats facing big cats. We will never give up."

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