WCS Run For The Wild dedicated to saving turtles and other species– including the world's 25 most endangered turtle/tortoise species, as listed in a recently released report co-authored by WCS

Register online at: www.wcsrunforthewild.org.

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Aug. 9, 2011- An alarming report issued earlier this year, co-authored by the Wildlife Conservation Society, listed the 25 most-endangered turtles and tortoises around the world. Many of these have been decimated by factors including illegal hunting for food and the pet trade.
 
WCS’s first-ever Run for the Wild in Brooklyn will help fund research to help save these turtles and other species around the globe.  
 
The animals highlighted in the report include Lonesome George, the only remaining Abdington Island giant tortoise and the Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle with just four known individuals remaining. The Wildlife Conservation Society has been working with Chinese officials and other partners to breed the last known male/female pair of these giant turtles, which currently reside at China’s Suzhou Zoo.
 
The WCS Run for the Wild in Brooklyn will help provide much needed support to help save these animals and other fragile species that are in decline.
 
Registrations for the WCS Run for the Wild are now being accepted online at wcsrunforthewild.org <http://www.wcsrunforthewild.org/> . The event will be held on Sunday, Oct. 9 at WCS’s New York Aquarium.
 
Starting times are 8 a.m. for the run; and 8:45 a.m. for the family run/walk. Children, seniors and WCS Members receive a reduced registration rate. Registration includes entry into the run, general admission to the aquarium, and a WCS Run for the Wild T-shirt.
 
The 5K run and family fun run/walk will begin and end at the aquarium and will take participants along the famed Coney Island Boardwalk. This event will sell out, so register early. For more information, to register or sponsor a runner/team, visit wcsrunforthewild.org.  
 
WCS Run for the Wild in Brooklyn is made possible by the following generous sponsors:
 
Supporting Sponsors:    CUNY, School of Professional Studies, Fairway Market,
 Hard Rock Cafe
 
Media Partner:            The Daily News, ABC7

Contact :  
Barbara Russo – 718-265-3428; brusso@wcs.org
Max Pulsinelli – 718- 220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org
Steve Fairchild – 718-220-5189; sfairchild@wcs.org     


Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium opens every day of the year at 10am, and closing times vary seasonally. Admission is $14.95 for adults, $10.95 for children ages 3-12 and $11.95 for senior citizens (65 and older); children under 3 years of age are admitted free. Fridays after 3pm, admission is by suggested donation. The Aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island. For directions, information on public events and programs, and other Aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the perfect time to visit and show support for the New York Aquarium, Brooklyn's most heavily attended attraction and a beloved part of the City of New York.

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.

Special Note to the Media: If you would like to guide your readers or viewers to a Web link where they can make donations in support of helping save wildlife and wild places, please direct them to wcs.org.