Wildlife Conservation Society research helped inform new rule changes Parrotfish, Nassau grouper, and other species under new protection; spearfishing is banned in marine reserves NEW YORK (APRIL 27, 2009) -- The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and its partners commend the Government of Belize, in particular the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Honorable Rene Montero, who earlier this month signed a sweeping set of new laws to protect its extensive coral reefs, considered to be the...

With WCS research as a guide, the government of Belize enacts new laws to protect the country’s extensive coral reefs, considered to be the most pristine in the Western Hemisphere.

In the face of warming ocean waters due to climate change, some coral reefs off East Africa are demonstrating unusual resiliency. A WCS study shows that successful fisheries management is key.

Successful reef management coupled with geophysical factors produces hearty corals off East Africa coast NEW YORK (April 23, 2009) – The Wildlife Conservation Society announced today a study showing that some coral reefs off East Africa are unusually resilient to climate change due to improved fisheries management and a combination of geophysical factors. WCS announced the results of the study at the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), which is meeting this week in Phuket, Thailand. The ...

Nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins are alive and swimming in Bangladesh, according to new WCS research. Prior to this study, the largest known populations of Irrawaddy dolphins numbered in the low hundreds or less.

Nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins are alive and swimming in Bangladesh NEW YORK (April 1, 2009) -- The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced today the discovery of a huge population of rare dolphins in South Asia—but warns that the population is threatened by climate change and fishing nets. Using rigorous scientific techniques, WCS researchers estimate that nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins, which are related to orcas or killer whales, were found living in freshwater regions of Bangladesh’...

NEW YORK (March 18, 2009)—After nearly dying from eating a poisoned animal carcass, a critically endangered white-rumped vulture was nursed back to health by wildlife veterinarians and conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB) and returned to the skies of Cambodia. The story is a small victory in a region where vultures of several species in Asia have become endangered due to a variety of causes. “Vulture ...

Agreement marks unique partnership among the World Bank, Global Environment Facility, and the Conservation Community to conserve big cats throughout their range NEW YORK (February 26, 2009) The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), together with the World Bank and Global Environment Facility (GEF), announced today a commitment of $2.8 million toward tiger conservation across its range. WCS will lead a new project, Tiger Futures, in partnership with other conservation organizations with long-term ...

Photographic confirmation of fleet-footed big cats a first for that country NEW YORK (February 23, 2009)—A Wildlife Conservation Society-supported survey of the Sahara has captured the first camera-trap photographs of the critically endangered Saharan cheetah in Algeria. The survey was conducted by researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Office du Parc National de l’Ahaggar (OPNA), and the Université de Béjaïa, with support from WCS and Panthera. The photographs were taken a...

Park safeguards western lowland gorillas, chimps, elephants, and other wildlife NEW YORK (February 18, 2009)—Gorilla population surveys, conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society, have helped the government of Cameroon create a new national park which will protect more than 600 gorillas, along with other threatened species such as chimpanzees, forest elephants, buffaloes, and bongo. Called Deng Deng National Park, the new protected area measures approximately 224 square miles (580 ...