The See-Through Leopard

by Sibel Hodge

  “Lions have vanished from over 80% of their historic range.” SOURCE -- PANTHERA

  “Over the past 50 years Africa's lion populations have plummeted from over 200,000 individuals back in the 1960's to fewer than 25,000 today.

  While many factors are listed as contributory to the overall decline in lion population numbers (including loss of habitat, conflict with growing human and livestock populations, declines in the number of functioning protected areas, etc), trophy hunting is a highly significant and immediately preventable source of additive mortality. The CITES Trade Database lists a total of 6,652 lion trophies exported 2000-2009, virtually all males.” SOURCE -- LION AID

  “Today, tigers persist in only 7% of their historical range. One hundred years ago, as many as 100,000 wild tigers roamed the forests and grasslands of Asia. Today, fewer than 3,200 tigers remain in the wild in 13 countries.” SOURCE -- PANTHERA

  “In the last century elephant populations massively declined due to habitat destruction, increased agriculture and the bloody ivory trade. Rampant ivory poaching from 1979 to 1989 halved Africa’s elephant population from 1.3 million to 600,000. Today numbers may be as low as 470,000.” SOURCE -- BORN FREE FOUNDATION

  “Some 24,000 of the continent’s remaining lions are primarily in 10 strongholds: 4 in East Africa and 6 in southern Africa, the researchers determined. Over 6,000 of the remaining lions are in populations of doubtful long-term viability. Lion populations in West and central Africa are the most acutely threatened, with many recent local extinctions, even in nominally protected areas.” SOURCE -- NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

  “Revered as the planet's fastest land animal, there are estimated to be fewer than 10,000 adult individuals left in the wild. Cheetahs once inhabited the whole African continent except for the Congo Basin rainforest. Today, they have vanished from over 77 percent of their historic range in Africa.” SOURCE -- PANTHERA

  “The five remaining subspecies of tiger are all ‘endangered’, African lions are officially ‘vulnerable’ and the Asiatic lion is ‘endangered’. Africa’s leopard subspecies are not considered in immediate danger of extinction but Asia’s leopard subspecies are all ‘endangered’. The Jaguar is 'near threatened'.” SOURCE -- BORN FREE FOUNDATION

  “It is estimated that approximately 3,500 wild tigers remain in the world, and numbers of this iconic species are continuing to decrease.” SOURCE -- BORN FREE FOUNDATION

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  Conservation Links:

  http://www.panthera.org/

  http://www.rewildingfoundation.org/

  http://www.bornfree.org.uk/

  http://www.georgeadamson.org/

  http://www.snowleopard.org/

  http://www.tusk.org/

  http://www.savetherhino.org/

  http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/big-cats/cause-an-uproar/

  http://www.ifaw.org/european-union

  http://www.wwf.org/

  http://worldlionday.com/associates/

  http://www.cheetah.org/

  The See-Through Leopard

  Sibel Hodge

  Copyright © Sibel Hodge 2013

  The moral right of the author has been asserted. All rights reserved in all media. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical (including but not limited to: the Internet, photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system), without prior permission in writing from the author and/or publisher.

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.