Some big kitties are coming to Iowa State thanks to the efforts of two ISU students.

Towers Residence Association Educational/Cultural Chair Jenny Groeltz and Towers Resident Assistant Ele Sato are the masterminds behind the plan to bring endangered cats to the ISU campus.

On Thursday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. in the Knapp/Storms commons of Towers, there will be an educational program about the endangered animals. There will be a baby cougar, a baby Siberian lynx, a snow leopard, a black leopard and an Amur leopard in the hall.

“It took about a month to go through all of the red tape involved with insurance and everything,” Groeltz said, “but everyone was very supportive of the program.”

Groeltz and Sato first saw the cats at a sports show in Des Moines last spring.

They contacted the organizers of the program, the Center for Endangered Cats in St. Paul, Minn., about the possibility of bringing the cats to Ames.

The Center for Endangered Cats is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the environment and the need for the preservation of habitat and wildcat species.

Groeltz said the Center has toured the country, giving programs for about five years. In the past organizers have done programs for schools, Boy and Girl Scout troops and sports shows.

The program costs about $300 and is being paid for by the Towers educational/cultural funds.

“The program will offer up-close-and-personal interaction with the cats,” Groeltz said, “but people won’t be actually touching them. It will be a safe learning environment.”