BURBANK, Calif. (May 2, 2011) - Disneynature announced today that its See African Cats, Save the Savanna campaign will help protect more than 50,000 acres of land in Kenyas Amboseli Wildlife Corridor on behalf of the moviegoers who came out to see Disneynatures motion picture African Cats during its opening week (April 22-28, 2011). A portion of the proceeds from the opening-week ticket sales will be donated to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to ensure the future of lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, giraffes and a host of other animals in the vibrant African savanna.
The area to be protected equates to 100 Disneys Animal Kingdom Theme Parks or more than twice the size of Manhattan. The AWF will be working to establish the Amboseli Wildlife Corridor, a passage between the Amboseli, Tsavo West and Chyulu Hills National Parks that is frequently used by a variety of wildlife.
Were so proud that audiences nationwide have embraced the film and the See African Cats, Save the Savanna initiative, said Alan Bergman, president of The Walt Disney Studios. The conservation efforts Disneynature has supported so far span the globefrom planting trees in Brazil, to preserving coral reef in The Bahamas and now protecting this essential passage in Kenyatheyve become an extraordinary part of our films and audiences have played a key role in helping our planet.
The See African Cats, Save the Savanna program transformed the moviegoing experience into tangible on-the-ground conservation action, said Dr. Patrick Bergin, CEO, African Wildlife Foundation. The commitment of Disneynature combined with the passion of moviegoers will raise critical funds to conserve the land that the magnificent species featured in African Cats call home. Through this amazing collaboration, we celebrate our 50th Anniversary together with Disneynature and all the people who are helping establish the Amboseli Wildlife Corridor.
While the opening-week ticket sales will help protect more than 50,000 acres of the Amboseli Wildlife Corridor, the conservation efforts tied to African Cats do not end there. Additional collaborations are committed to adding at least another 15,000 acres to the programfrom the sale of artwork and jewelry inspired by the film, to the sale of Jordin Sparks The World I Knew single, to the Cast Member Earth Month pledges across the Walt Disney Company, plus more. These programs, many of them ongoing, support the Save the Savanna initiative, which will have a positive long term and sustainable impact on the animals and people of Africa.
See African Cats, Save the Savanna continues Disneynatures conservation efforts, which began with its first release, Earth (2009), for which three million trees were planted in Brazils Atlantic Forest. The program in support of Oceans (2010) helped establish 40,000 acres of marine protected areas in The Bahamas, which contain miles of vital coral reef.
We all really liked the film, and it was even better than I expected. The photography and cinematography were amazing. I was a little worried about how anthropomorphic the film would be, but it was not as bad as I expected. Overally Disneynature did a great job!
The cinematography was amazing! It did an excellent job of showing familial relationships in animals, something many people don't even realize exists. I'm curious to know if there will be updates on any of the cats? Did you ever find Fang? Has Sita had more cubs? What about Mara?
