**NEWS RELEASE**

CONTACT: MARY DIXON: (1-347-840-1242; mdixon@wcs.org)

STEPHEN SAUTNER: (1-718-220-3682; ssautner@wcs.org

WCS Praises Thailand for Destroying Illegal Ivory

  • More than two metric tons of ivory destroyed
  • Thailand is key market for illegal ivory
  • More than 42 tons of ivory have been destroyed by eight nations this year
  • “Global momentum is building to save elephants from the ravages of poaching”

NEW YORK (August 26, 2015) – The Following statement is from Cristián Samper, WCS President and CEO and a member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking:

“WCS praises the government of Thailand for destroying more than two tons of confiscated ivory.  Today, Thailand joins the seven other countries – China, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. – that this year alone have publicly destroyed more than 42 tons of illegal ivory. 

“The government of Thailand today has sent a very public message that it is serious about helping end the global ivory trade that is responsible for the slaughter of approximately 96 elephants each day in Africa. A recent study by National Geographic among likely ivory buyers in Thailand shows that 73 percent would support a government ban on all buying, selling, importing, and exporting of ivory; we urge the government of Thailand to take such action and close its domestic markets.  Clearly, there is global momentum building to save elephants from the ravages of poaching fueled by the ivory trade.

“WCS and its many partners – from world leaders to park guards – will continue to work to stop the killing, stop the trafficking, and stop the demand, including efforts to close ivory markets, so that elephants can once again thrive without the threat from ivory trafficking criminals.”

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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.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 2013, WCS launched its 96 Elephants campaign to bring together world citizens, partners, thought leaders, and change makers to leverage collective influence to stop the killing, stop the trafficking, and stop the demand. The campaign, which has partners from around the world including 125 U.S. zoos, 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