Spectacular Images of Wildlife Flicker on State Department Facade

The piercing eyes of a tiger stared down from the facade of the State Department in downtown Washington, D.C., gazing upon the crowds that gathered around and snapped pictures on their smartphones.

In celebration of World Wildlife Day, Discovery Communications projected the images of endangered animals from the documentary "Racing Extinction" onto the State Department facade yesterday evening to bring awareness to the wildlife trafficking crisis, according to Discovery Communications spokesperson Elizabeth Hillman.

"This special moment will cap off an afternoon of discussion at the State Department," she said.

A few hours before, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Catherine A. Novelli hosted "Voices for the Wild: from Inspiration to Action on Combating Wildlife Trafficking," an event which included filmmakers, producers, and "other wildlife storytellers for a panel discussion focusing on strategies for engaging the public in combating illegal trade in wildlife," according to a State Department statement.

Discovery held a similar event in New York City when the documentary premiered last summer, projecting images of threatened animals onto the Empire State Building in a spectacular display.

It is part of a larger effort by Discovery to battle animal trafficking. Other efforts include the launch of a legislative advocacy platform enabling viewers to send a letter directly to their representatives, as well as raising awareness through a block of programming on Animal Planet focused on wildlife and offering a showcase of original virtual reality content of rare species.

Projected Image by Paul Hilton/Greenpeace, Photo Courtesy of Discovery Communications.