Lancée par le National Geographic avec le concours des photographes Beverly et Dereck Joubert, Big Cats Initiative est dédiée à la protection des grands félins : lion, tigre, guépard, léopard, jaguar, puma...
National Geographic, along with Dereck and Beverly Joubert, launched the Big Cats Initiative to raise awareness and implement change to the dire situation facing big cats.
The threats of wire-snare poaching, trophy hunting, and illegal bush-meat trade are destroying populations of lions and other big cats. The Big Cats Initiative grantees combat these threats on the ground in Africa, Asia, and other areas with large populations of big cats under the threat of extinction. Their activities include:
- team patrols to prevent lion snaring
- testing lion carcasses for signs of poison
- anti-poaching team patrols
- medical treatment for snared lions
- training local villagers to be conflict officers
- building and improving protective livestock corrals
- using tourism as an incentive to raise income and offset livestock losses
- placing tracking collars on big cats that work as a warning system for villagers
- using guard dogs to protect livestock herds
- relocating problem animals from conflict areas
- conservation workshops
- big cat movie nights
- education and medical care for children and adults
