·         96 Elephants Campaign commends Senator Thad Altman for leadership on wildlife trade issue

 

·         Florida Association of Zoos and Aquariums (FAZA) supports legislation

 

·         Key to stopping elephant slaughter is to stop sale of ivory

 

·         96 elephants are killed every day in Africa

 

NEW YORK (February 23, 2015) – The following statement is from John Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Director of the 96 Elephants Campaign:

“WCS [Wildlife Conservation Society] and the 96 Elephants campaign commends Senator Thad Altman for introducing a bill into the Florida senate to ban the sale of elephant ivory, and we commend the Florida Association of Zoos and Aquariums (FAZA) for their support of this important legislation.  Banning ivory sales is a key component to an overall strategy to save Africa’s elephants from the ravages of poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, and Florida can play a leadership role in this global effort. Already, New York and New Jersey have banned the sale of ivory, while California, Hawaii and Massachusetts have introduced bills to ban ivory sales. WCS and 96 Elephants urge support of Senate Bill 1120, and we look forward to its swift passage by the Florida legislature.”

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Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City,  visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org<http://www.wcs.org>; http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS; http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia  Follow: @thewcs.

96 Elephants
WCS is leading global efforts to save Africa’s elephants and end the current poaching and ivory trafficking crisis. In September 2013, WCS launched its 96 Elephants campaign to amplify and support the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) “Partnership to Save Africa’s Elephants” by stopping the killing, stopping the trafficking, and stopping the demand. The WCS campaign focuses on: securing effective moratoria on sales of ivory; bolstering elephant protection; and educating the public about the link between ivory consumption and the elephant poaching crisis. www.96elephants.org<http://www.96elephants.org>