Cheetahs' "Angel" Hilker Honored By UC

Even though Cathryn Hilker was born and raised and now resides in the Cincinnati area, she has traveled the world in her endeavors as a “Champion of Wildlife.”  She is an internationally recognized and revered conservationist, a sought-after speaker and world-class educator.  Her life-time devotion to wildlife in general, and to the survival of the African cheetah in particular, has resulted in permanent preservation of this endangered and beautiful species. 

Cathryn is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, having received her degree in cultural anthropology a half century ago.  She has used her knowledge as a teacher and educator, and even though she is recognized world-wide for her conservation efforts with cheetahs, she is almost as well-known for her educational endeavors.  Her contributions to the Cincinnati Zoo are legendary.

Over the years her accomplishments have been astounding.  She authored A Cheetah Named Angel, which was a national best-seller.  This led to the establishment of the Angel Fund at the Cincinnati Zoo, and she used the profits from the book to establish an 18,000-acre preservation area for the cheetah in Namibia, Africa.   She has been a Cincinnati Enquirer’s Woman of the Year; the recipient of the Cincinnati Zoo’s Wildlife Conservation Award and the Conservationist of the Year; she was given the Key to the City of Cincinnati, to name just a few of her many honors. 

Cathryn Hilker is truly a person who has made a difference.  Through her zeal and persistence, and unflagging devotion to the preservation of wildlife, the cheetah is no longer headed toward extinction.