GENEVA, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Winners of the UN-sponsored International Big Cats Film Festival were announced Friday, a day before the World Wildlife Day under the theme "Big cats: predators under threat".
The winners, Broken Tail, Vanishing Kings -- Lions of the Namib, Pavel, Gyamo -- Queen of the Mountains, Big Cats (Episode 3) and Livestock Insurance Program, were announced by the Geneva-based UN wildlife agency CITES Secretariat, together with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.
"These films connect us in a very personal way to wildlife. They inspire us all to make sure these most magnificent creatures survive in the wild," said John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary General.
The films will soon hit the big screen and mobile devices.
Scanlon said by using the power of media we can catalyze a groundswell of support for big cats to help make sure they survive in the wild.
Big cats are among the most widely recognized and admired animals across the globe.
However, the world has been losing these most majestic animals at an alarming rate.
According to CITES Secretary, tiger populations plummeted by 95 percent over the past 100 years and African lion populations dropped by 40 percent in just 20 years.
With 183 Parties, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) remains one of the world's most powerful tools for wildlife conservation through the regulation of trade.