Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/433799
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 2 1 6 E ach painting on these pages reflects the artist's skill in capturing the essence of the individual animal, while conveying what it is about the species that is both unique and arresting to the eye. You can see it in the commanding poise of African lions, the penetrating stare of a cougar, the ground-burning sprint of cheetahs, the beautiful coats of the jaguar and tiger. From lions on the African veldt to tigers in the forests of Russia to snow leopards in the Himalyas, most of our wild cats are in jeopardy. Loss of habitat from encroaching human settlement and logging, in addition to the murderous activities of poachers, are pushing many endemic cat populations to the brink of extinction. Hopefully, governments and their peoples will recognize what's happening to our wild cats and act accordingly —by implementing more comprehensive programs to control poaching and by setting aside reserves where the big predators will continue to roam wild and free. n Preceding pages: In his beautiful painting Out of the Shadows, Dan Smith captures a mountain lion emerging from a dark woodland, his gaze riveted on something that has caught his attention.