#IFAKEIT For Leopards. Show Your Spots to Save Theirs

The Leopard

Leopard print will always be around.  The beautiful pattern never really goes out of style.   But what about the leopards?

The leopard is the smallest of the four big cats (tigers, lions, jaguars and then leopards) but this spotted cat is the most adaptable, pervasive and unfortunately, the most hunted.  From the Congo rainforest to the deserts of the Middle East, the leopard inhabits 75 countries across Africa and Eurasia living where many other carnivores cannot survive.

Even with their versatility and stamina, leopards have disappeared from nearly 40% of their historic range in Africa and 50% in Asia. They have vanished from Hong Kong, Kuwait, Libya, Singapore, Syrian Arab Republic and Tunisia.  Their presence in 6 other countries is in question.

Just as in the previous centuries, the leopard continues to be one of the fashion industries iconic inspirations, yet this reverence is the reason the leopard is the most persecuted big cat on Earth.

While it is true that leopards also face the same threats as their cousins, loss of habitat, loss of prey species and conflict with people, the demand for their gorgeous skins is one of the main causes of their decline and the reason they are listed as “near threatened” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Panthera’s Furs for Life Leopard Project

Panthera’s Furs for Life Leopard Project is providing a simple and sustainable solution to protect leopards but also supports local culture. Collaborating with digital designers, Panthera created a high-quality and realistic fake leopard skin to replace the real skins worn at ceremonies. More than 5,000 fake leopard capes have already been donated in southern Africa, and Panthera’s new partnership with the Peace Parks Foundation and Cartier will enable the distribution of at least 13,000 more.

#IFAKEIT For Leopards. Show Your Spots to Help Save Theirs

Panthera has launched the #IFAKEIT movement to raise awareness about the plight of the beautiful cats on a global scale.

Here is how you can help:

1. Post a photo wearing leopard print with the hashtag #IFAKEIT to join the movement. Help Panthera reach 18,000 unique hashtags to accompany each cape, as a thank you to the communities willing to fake it for leopards.
2. If you are able, donate $30. Thirty dollars can create one fake leopard skin cape and help save a leopard.
3. Tweet and post to Facebook and Instagram your photo with the #IFAKEIT hashtag to help drive a global conversation about protecting leopards and to encourage more leopard champions to join the fight to save their spots.

The Tiniest Tiger sent 4 fake leopard capes

Thanks to your support of Triple T Studios, The Tiniest Tiger community sent 4 fake leopard skin capes to help save a leopard.  We sent one for Annie, Eddie and Mercy and one in memory of Gracey who inspired us to do our part to help all cats big and small.