WCS commends Indonesian Government for adopting new law prohibiting fishing and trade of manta rays NEW YORK (February 19, 2014)—The Wildlife Conservation Society applauds the Government of Indonesia for its recent decision to protect the world’s largest ray species, the giant and reef manta rays, from fishing and trade throughout the country. On 28 January 2014, Indonesia’s Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister declared both the giant manta ray and reef manta ray as protected species under I...

Anak Pattanavibool speaks at International Wildlife Trafficking Symposium:February 11-12, 2014 at the Zoological Society of London, Regents Park NEW YORK (February 11, 2014)—A systematic patrol system called the “Smart” program has become a vital component in the protection of tigers, elephants, and other wildlife species in the forests of Thailand, according to scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society at a wildlife trafficking symposium in London this week. Implemented in 2005 in Tha...

Opening Remarks by Dr. John G. Robinson, WCS Chief Conservation Officer and Executive Vice President of Conservation and Science“This symposium is less about political consensus and more about prioritizing the strategies and approaches." London, Feb. 11, 2014 – The following remarks were delivered today by Dr. John G. Robinson, WCS Chief Conservation Officer and Executive Vice President of Conservation and Science, at the opening of the International Wildlife Trafficking Symposium at the Zoologi...

After many years of hard work and trial and error, real successes are being seen in snow leopard conservation, in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan and in northern Pakistan, among other places, as communities come together to manage their land and wildlife, and neighboring countries find ways to cooperate across borders. WCS Asia Program deputy director Peter Zahler and George Schaller, WCS senior conservationist and Panthera VP, explain.

Six Heroes Now Vie for Quarter of a Million Dollars in World’s Leading Award for Animal Conservation (INDIANAPOLIS-January 30, 2014)— Joel Berger, Ph.D., is one of six exceptional conservationists advancing as a finalist for the 2014 Indianapolis Prize, the world's leading award for animal conservation. Selected from a group of 39 nominees, Berger is in the running for $250,000 along with Gerardo Ceballos, Ph.D.; Carl Jones, Ph.D.; Russell A. Mittermeier, Ph.D.; Carl Safina, Ph.D.; and Patricia ...

WCS congratulates Hong Kong’s Government for sending strong anti-poaching message NEW YORK (January 28, 2014) – The Wildlife Conservation Society congratulates Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department’s Endangered Species Advisory Committee for announcing last week they will destroy their stockpile of approximately 30 metric tons of confiscated ivory. The announcement is seen as a major step in the effort to protect elephants from the ravages of ivory poaching. Hong Kong ...

Trader connected to crime syndicates in Russia, Singapore, Thailand, and Cyprus Operation was completed by Ministry of Forestry and Jakarta National Police Criminal Investigation Division, with technical assistance from WCS’s Wildlife Crimes UnitNEW YORK (January 23, 2014) — The Wildlife Conservation Society announced today the arrest of a wildlife trader in Indonesia who specialized in smuggling live animals including baby primates and komodo dragons. The arrest was made in Bali by forest rang...

WCS applauds appropriations bill that grows key conservation funding accounts and will help address elephant poaching crisis Support for USAID, GEF, and Dept. of the Interior programs is preserved Washington, DC – January 17, 2014 – The Wildlife Conservation Society hailed the omnibus Fiscal Year 2014 spending bill passed this week by Congress, which maintains key conservation accounts and creates a new funding source to combat wildlife trafficking while ensuring budgetary stability over the ne...

January 16, 2014 Good afternoon. My name is Elizabeth Bennett. I am the Vice President for Species Conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society. Thank you for the opportunity to speak before you today regarding the plight of African elephants due to demand for ivory, and the actions that New York State can take to improve their conservation status in the wild. My background is that I have spent 30 years working in wildlife conservation, from long-term field research on wildlife and h...

Dainty but tough, demoiselle cranes add a touch of elegance to the zoo’s rugged outdoorsBrooklyn, N.Y. – Jan. 8, 2014 – ATTACHED PHOTO: A demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo) takes in his surroundings at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo. The Prospect Park Zoo is now home to three demoiselle cranes, a migratory bird native to eastern Asia and northern Africa. French for “young lady,” demoiselle was the name given to these birds by Queen Marie Antoinette, who described the sp...