A Tribute to Cecil the Lion and Other Endangered Animals

This past Saturday, the facade of New York’s Empire State Building became the site of a beautiful tribute to Cecil, a beloved Zimbabwean lion killed recently by an American big game hunter, along with other endangered animals such as manta rays, tigers, snow leopards, and butterflies. The 8 minute loop of moving pictures is part of the “Projecting Change on the Empire State Building” initiative as a way to raise awareness about the plight of endangered insects and beasts alike. Created by Louie Psihoyos, founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society, the project was the first of its kind and was designed to spark a conversation about the current predicament of these animals. When asked why he picked the Empire State Building, Psihoyos said it was “because he wanted the most iconic building that he could think of, and for him it was the Empire State.”