RIYADH: Wildlife lovers will take to the streets around the world and in Saudi Arabia as the Catmosphere Foundation holds its second “Catwalk” on Saturday, Nov. 5 to raise awareness about “big cat” conservation.
Saudi-led nonprofit Catmosphere announced that this year’s outdoor event aims to raise awareness about the importance of conserving the seven big cats — tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, pumas, cheetahs and snow leopards — with a focus on Arabian leopards.
Wildlife lovers can register and select the big cat species to which they dedicate their 7km walk.
Catmosphere was launched by Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, who is on a mission to safeguard the wellbeing of big cats. The nonprofit aims to magnify the efforts of Panthera, a US-based charity devoted to the conservation of 40 species of wild cats.
Princess Reema previously told Arab News: “Catwalk is striving for a healthy habitat for big cats, and healthy habitats start at home. A healthy and active lifestyle helps us respect our own bodies, and engaging with our environment gives us an appreciation for the fundamental role it plays in all of life. Catwalk invites us all to ignite physical movement locally, and in doing so trigger the big cat conservation movement globally.”
Tiger, lion, leopard and cheetah populations have experienced habitat loss of between 65 percent and 96 percent of their historical ranges, according to figures released by leading wild cat conservation charity panthera.org.
Last year’s Catwalk attracted more than 27,000 participants from 102 countries. Their collective steps cumulatively totaled more than 150,000 km. Catwalk is backed by several partners, including the International Olympic Committee, the Special Olympics, Peace and Sport, the Association for International Sport for All, and Google.
The Royal Commission for AlUla has already committed $25 million to the Arabian Leopard Fund, an independent organization launched by the commission to work across the leopard’s home range to save the species.
As one of Catmosphere’s partners, the RCU is leading a range of initiatives to conserve Arabian leopards. RCU is protecting six nature reserves, covering almost 50 percent of AlUla, to restore habitat, reintroduce native species and conduct long-term biological monitoring and social outreach to prepare three priority sites for the eventual reintroduction of Arabian leopards.
This year, two Arabian leopard female cubs were born in the Kingdom, which marked a significant milestone in saving the endangered species and offering hope for its revival in the future.
