State fishery managers unanimously approve world’s most lenient finning rules for region’s second largest shark fishery Alexandria, Virginia, May 22, 2013 -- Conservationists are denouncing yesterday’s decision by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to ignore public concerns, advisory panel recommendations, and scientific evidence by voting to weaken an already lenient regulation on shark “finning” (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding...

First book to bring together top experts on all penguin species, say Wildlife Conservation Society and University of Washington NEW YORK (May 21, 2013)—A new book on the world’s penguins highlights both the diversity of these endearing, flightless birds as well as the many threats faced by these species, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of Washington. Published by the University of Washington, the book—titled Penguins: Natural History and Conservation—featu...

Members of the media are invited to tour the new exhibit Thursday, May 23; 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.Media Arrival: 10 a.m. Bronx, NY – May 21, 2013 – The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is inviting media to preview this summer’s newest attraction – Dinosaur Safari – on Thursday, May 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. There will be two special tours for media with departures at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. The exhibit opens to the public until Saturday, May 25. The ride runs through a two-acre area ...

NEW YORK (May 21, 2013)—A new report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) highlights the plight of great apes in the forest concessions of Central Africa and recommends actions to improve protection for gorillas and chimpanzees in these mixed-used landscapes, according to authors from the Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF, IUCN, Lincoln Park Zoo and Washington University.While most conservation efforts are focused on protecting great apes and other species in Central A...

New York (May 20, 2013) – In two critical reports released at the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Kiruna, Sweden on May 15th, the scientific expertise of the Wildlife Conservation Society helped inform an international body of senior government officials about changing conditions in the Arctic, and potential responses to those changes. The scientific reports reviewed by the ministers are products of contributions from various experts, representing a range of knowledge and traditions—includ...

NEW YORK (May 18, 2013) —The following statement was released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society President and CEO Cristián Samper in response to the news that Gabon has agreed to help improve the management of the Central African Republic’s protected areas, which are currently threatened by large-scale elephant poaching for ivory, and that security has returned to Dzanga-Sangha National Park. At least two dozen elephants were killed in Dzanga-Sangha National Park in the Central African...

With the emergence of a new zoonotic disease, H7N9, WCS’s Bird Coordinator Steve Zack reflects on the increasing mingling of birds, humans, and domesticated animals across the globe, and the need for improved management practices by poultry farms and markets.

New York (May 16, 2013) – In the new medical textbook, Jekel’s Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Preventive Medicine, and Public Health (Elsevier, 2013), Wildlife Conservation Society veterinarian and Director of Health Policy, Dr. Steve Osofsky, offers a holistic approach to meeting challenges that result from humanity’s ongoing population growth, globalization trends, and unsustainable demand for earth’s finite natural resources. As the human population grows and becomes more interconnected, there ...

On a recent expedition to CAR’s Dzanga Bai, part of a World Heritage Site, WCS President and CEO Cristián Samper witnessed first-hand the severity of the danger facing both elephants and the heroic rangers who protect them.

Hundreds of Elephants in Central African Republic’s Dzanga Bai may be massacred WCS appeals to neighboring countries and world community to stop slaughter NEW YORK (May 10, 2013) —The Wildlife Conservation Society issued statements today following reports that poachers killing elephants in the Central African Republic had entered Dzanga Bai, which is located in a World Heritage Site. Reports from the field indicate that elephants are being shot from where scientists and ...