New Conservation Enterprise Development Fund Announced by WCS CEDF helps local communities and wildlife prosper From ibis-friendly rice in Cambodia to snail farming in Nigeria Fund Receives $250K Grant from Acacia Conservation Fund NEW YORK (Feb. 1, 2012) — WCS announced today a new fund to help sustainable market-based conservation enterprises across the world that benefit both people and wildlife. Called the Conservation Enterprise Development Fund (CEDF), the new program will suppor...

Republic of Congo creates Ntokou-Pikounda National Park to safeguard thousands of great apes Park contains massive ape population discovered by WCS in 2008, and is home to hundreds of elephants and chimpanzees NEW YORK (DATE) — The Republic of Congo has declared a new national park that protects a core population of the 125,000 western lowland gorillas discovered by WCS in 2008. Called Ntokou-Pikounda National Park, the new protected area spans some 4,572 square kilometers (1...

WCS's President and CEO wrote a letter to the editor of The New York Times to address wildlife poaching. Referencing several recent Times articles on the topic, he reiterated the importance of addressing wildlife crime at its source. 

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Could Include Provisions that Help Curb Wildlife Trafficking in Asia Washington, D.C. – December 7, 2012 – In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, the Wildlife Conservation Society urged the United States government to maintain its commitment to environmental provisions to stop illegal wildlife trade during ongoing trade talks with countries in Southeast Asia. The United States has proposed a binding and enforceable conservation chapter for...

WCS CEO Cristián Samper: “We need to protect the source,break the chain and stop demand.” Join the Global Pledge at WildlifePledge.org Washington, D.C. – December 4, 2012 – The Wildlife Conservation Society, in concert with the U.S. State Department, urged citizens around the world to pledge to help stop the illegal wildlife trade on Wildlife Conservation Day, December 4th. The pledge, found online at WildlifePledge.org, was conceived by ...

New estimate brings world population of mountain gorillas to 880 NEW YORK (December 3, 2012)—A 2011 census of mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has confirmed that the great apes there have increased in number since the last count in 2006, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which provided support for the census. Recently released by the Uganda Minister for Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the new census reveal...

New York (December 3, 2012)  WCS President and CEO Dr. Cristián Samper issued the following statement for Wildlife Conservation Day:  The Connection Between Species Extinction, Organized Crime Illegal wildlife trafficking may prove to be the demise of many of our Earth’s species. Further, this activity – which is snuffing out the last populations of elephants, tigers and other animals -- finances organized crime and augments the sp...

GABORONE, BOTSWANA (November 28, 2012) — The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) congratulates animal health and wildlife conservation experts from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on their adoption of additional, environmentally-friendly ways to manage trade-sensitive animal diseases like foot and mouth (FMD), with an aim towards easing tensions at the livestock-wildlife interface. Given the importance of both the livestock and wildlife sectors to many countries...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted an event on wildlife trafficking, with a panel moderated by WCS CEO, Dr. Cristián Samper. Dr. Samper also released a statement reiterating the need to advance initiatives that will halt wildlife trafficking.

NEW YORK (November 7, 2012)—The Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) is currently soliciting applications for 2013 Conservation Awards, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society and other CLP partners. The application deadline is November 9th, 2012; awards will be announced in April 2013. CLP invites applications from early-career conservationists living and working in Africa, Asia, East/South-East Europe, the Middle East, the Pacifi...