Students: do not be fooled, the university’s “Big Cats” night is not merely limited to what its title suggests; the event offers an experience larger than what the average student, attendee or not, may even think to be the case. 

While the Wild Cat Education and Conservation Fund team offered a few big wild cats for students to enjoy during the well anticipated campus event, the team also brought a few small ones. As excited students alike flocked to the Student Center Ballroom on Wednesday, Feb. 5 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., The Wild Cat Fund made sure to bring a range of cats for the experience all the while. 

The team said that the reason why it does not simply focus on big cats is because, “while 99% of donated funds go to lions, tigers, cheetahs,” or the more well known cats, Ocelots, Geoffroy’s cats and Fishing cats tend to not to get the same attention, according to The Wild Cat Fund. 

Fittingly, as many people know of the aforementioned, infamous big cats, yet have rarely–if ever–been introduced to smaller, wild cats, Sonoma State students gained the experience of the latter throughout the course of the event. Sonoma State student, Jensen Bergvall, was among students following suit with said aspect, as Bergvall said, “I had no idea what a fishing cat was before attending this event.” Precisely, among The Wild Cat Fund team’s intentions for the event was the ability to teach students about the different variations of wild cats, informing that not all of them are particularly large, but that all of them deserve the same amount of preservation and recognition. 

While the event is revered by students, it is not without speculation. One Sonoma State student, who prefers not to be named, said that she, “does not agree with bringing animals onto a stage to be stared at.” However, the Wild Cat Fund’s purpose is not to parade animals on stage, but to inform the generations on wildlife and the importance of animal preservation. This ideology and teaching was prevalent throughout the night, as each animal brought on stage was accompanied by information about the origin and importance of the animal. 

While technically, yes, these animals are being put on a stage to be viewed by an audience, the Wild Cat Fund does a remarkable job of using the event as an educational tool, rather than a circus-like showcase. 

The night began with an explanation of how the event would be run, exactly,  in order to best comfort the animals. The team then dove into a lecture-like show that was as informative as it was enticing for student attendees. Not many people get to experience being in the presence of cheetahs and snow leopards, let alone the presence of wild cats: whom they have rarely, if ever, heard. The Wild Life Fund team made sure to include the current number of estimated cats left of each species shown, which was surprising for the audience to hear, as gasps of “awe’s” filled the air as the Wild Cat Fund addressed how snow leopards are nearly extinct. The incredibly high disappearance rates among wildcats is due to humans, mostly. The animals were not only hunted for their furs, but also killed for being carnivorous animals who unknowingly pray on human-owned livestock. 

Providing an event of this caliber, beyond doing so for  the SSU community, is significant on a global scale. Without spreading knowledge and awareness of the beautiful cats themselves–and the extent of their surmounting endangerment–there can be no conservation moving forward. Overall, the event was openly enjoyed by the community, as the precious animals were mere feet away from the audience throughout the informative session. 

While some students may have missed out on Big Cats Night at SSU, it does not mean that they  have missed out on their chance to experience these cats altogether. The Wild Cat Fund offers tours, overnight stays, luncheons and more at their facilities. For more information, students can readily access the team’s website at www.wildcatfund.org.