Big Cats

Cats are native to every

~continent except Australia and Antartica. All cats are

~ mammals with fine

~fur coats that are often ~beautifully marked. They are

~ skilled hunters and killers with ~strong agile bodies,

~ acute senses, sharp teeth

~and large claws. Cats are ~intelligent and stealthy animals and

~many are very secretive. Although cats vary in different sizes ~domestic house cat to the huge Siberian Tiger, they all belong to the

~same family.

~Only a few countries of the

~world today can still boast at having at least one ~species of wildcat.

~But the number of those cats is slowly

~dwindling because they are

victims to poaching, habitat loss and

other predators, and as countries have developed over the years.

~Most big cats roar, with the

~exception of the cheetah, snow leopard, clouded leopard and the mountain lion.

~Muscles in the cats' vocal cords prevent them from roaring, though they can purr and the

~ cheetah chirps like a bird.

~Together, there are 36 species of wild cats in the world, and many of them are in danger

~Animals of the wild are slowly becoming ~extinct.

is up to us, if we are to stop these beautiful creatures from vanishing completely from this earth. Because once they are gone, they will have gone forever...never to return.~It