Protecting Africa's Great Cats and Wild Dogs

In the past two decades, Africa's lion population has dwindled by more than 75 percent. Less that 13,000 wild cheetahs remain on the continent, while only 5,000 wild dogs are left. Conservationists warn that their disappearing numbers will have an adverse effect on the ecosystems in which they live.

On September 17, the United States Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a committee mark up of the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act -- legislation already passed by the House that will help protect more than two dozen endangered species around the globe, including wild dogs and great cats like cheetahs and lions, from human development, poaching and other threats.

GET INFORMED

• Read "Help Globally Endangered Great Cats and Dog Species" (African Wildlife Foundation)

GET INVOLVED

• Sign a Care2 petition urging the US Congress to support the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act

photo courtesy Storm Crypt, Creative Commons