Empire State Building
A full moon rises behind the Empire State Building in New York as a man watches in a park along the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey. Reuters/Gary Hershorn

Lions and rhinos and pandas -- oh, my!

The Empire State Building will be showing some new skin Saturday when it debuts its first projection decoration. The famed building will be showing images of endangered animals as part of an information campaign and promotion for the upcoming documentary "Racing Extinction," by Louie Psihoyos.

The display will be accomplished by stacking 40 large projectors on the roof of a building on 31st Street, according to the New York Times. The projections will feature leopards, lions, snakes, birds and sea creatures, between 9 p.m. and midnight. The projection will cover 33 floors of the southern wall of the Empire State Building and cost more than $1 million. Viewers will be able to be see the project clearly as far south as 14th Street and farther south, but with less clarity. The project has been in the works for a number of years due to New York City's restrictive projection laws.

The Empire State Building has been lighting up to celebrate special events for years, but after the lights got an upgrade in 2012, their displays have been getting more intricate. Last year, the building displayed a number 2 in honor of retiring Derek Jeter and this spring they marked the Whitney Museum of American Art's relocation with interpretations of famous paintings.

The projection of endangered wildlife comes within a week of two notable animal deaths. Nabire, previously one of five remaining northern white rhinos, died in a Czech zoo on Wednesday. That followed news of the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe. A dentist from Minneapolis, Walter Palmer, has been accused of Cecil's killing, and two men in Zimbabwe have also been charged in the death. Zimbabwe has asked the U.S. to extradite Palmer to be charged, but such a process would be a lengthy and expensive undertaking.

The display comes as Psihoyos is trying to draw attention to what he deems the sixth mass extinction through a partnership between his Oceanic Preservation Society and Obscura Digital. Psihoyos' film, "Racing Extinction" promises to illuminate the world around us looking at both the international wildlife trade and the industry pollutants that threaten the environment. It is scheduled to be air December 2 on Discovery.

In the meantime, we'll be keeping our eyes on the Empire State Building. How often can you see a 33-story tall leopard?