#WorldWildlifeDay is celebrated each year on March 3, and this year’s theme is Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation.

River is a six-year-old fishing cat that lives at Hawk Creek Wildlife Center with a very important job! Fishing Cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and their population is decreasing. Still, many people don’t even know they exist! As an ambassador animal, River inspires thousands of people to care about fishing cats and the challenges they face in the wild.

By donating to Hawk Creek on World Wildlife Day, you will also be supporting Fishing Cat conservation!

The founder of the Fishing Cat Conservancy came all the way to Hawk Creek to meet River! Fishing cats are incredibly elusive and hard to research, but he was able to study River’s movements and how she uses her paws to fish! By studying ambassador cats like River, scientists are able to learn how to help their wild counterparts with conservation programs.

The Fishing Cat Conservancy is working to create nature preserves, form partnerships with landowners to preserve ecosystems, and inspire change. You can learn more at fishcat.org

Photo by Kim Russell