NEW YORK, NY (April 25, 2024) – A new artificial intelligence (AI) model has helped researchers find previously un-mapped ocean biodiversity hotspots across 11 countries in the Western Indian Ocean. The new maps pinpoint 119 sites with especially high concentrations of species of fish and corals. The AI model, which researchers say could also be adapted for use in terrestrial ecosystems, is the latest in a string of advancements in conservation modeling that have followed from recent gr...

BRONX, NY, April 25, 2024 — The WCS Run for the Wild at the Bronx Zoo is 8AM Saturday, April 27. More than 5,000 participants will traverse the beautiful grounds at the park which is marking its 125th anniversary. There will be a 5K run and a 3K family run/walk. Through the past 15 years, nearly 80,000 runners and walkers have participated in this annual event which raises funds for the conservation of wildlife. WHAT:          16th Annual WCS Run for the Wil...

Paro, Bhutan, April 23, 2024 – The Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference concluded today on a high note, marking a historic moment for global conservation efforts. The conference was opened yesterday by Her Majesty The Queen of Bhutan, under whose patronage this effort to mobilise greater support for protecting tigers and tiger landscapes has come to fruition. Learn more about Bhutan conference HERE. In an address at the opening ceremony, Her Majesty spoke about the urg...

Paro, Bhutan, April 22, 2024 - On the occasion of Earth Day 2024, the Royal Government of Bhutan is hosting the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference under the patronage of Her Majesty The Queen, Jetsun Pema Wangchuck. The Conference will launch an ambition to mobilize US $1 billion in new funding over 10 years for the preservation of tiger landscapes, which are vital to maintaining biodiversity, sequestering carbon, supplying resources to over 100 million people, and ensuring the ...

Caption: New York State, City, and Bronx Borough officials and students from New York City PS 205 join the 125th birthday celebration of the Bronx Zoo. Adults pictured from left to right: John Calvelli WCS EVP of Public Affairs; New York State Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado; Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson; New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo; New York City Council Member Rafael Salamanca; and Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo Credit: Bronx Zoo Bronx,...

NEW YORK, NY, April 18, 2024—The following statement was released jointly on April 16, by the Inclusive Conservation Academy (ICA), Programme Intégré pour le Développement du Peuple Pygmée au Kivu (PIDP), Securing Indigenous Peoples' Rights in the Green Economy Coalition (SIRGE Coalition), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) at the 23rd Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues: Chair, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Indigenous Brothers and Sisters, ...

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 17, 2024—The following statement was issued on behalf of WCS's Luthando Dziba: Miombo woodlands are the world’s expansive dryland forest, spanning over 1.9 million km2 across more than eight countries within the greater Zambezi Basin. This extensive area plays a crucial role in global climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development efforts. More than 250 million people live in Miombo areas, and the v...

New York, April 15, 2024 -- News released today by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) confirms what WCS scientists have been observing in the field for months: The world is experiencing its fourth global coral bleaching event, the second in the last 10 years. Read the NOAA/ICRI news release here. Bleaching-level heat stress, caused by prolonged increases in superheated ocean temperatures, is predicted to be extensive ...

New York, NY, 10 April 2024 — a new study reveals compelling evidence that forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council®(FSC®) in Gabon and the Republic of Congo harbour a higher abundance of larger mammals and critically endangered species, such as gorillas and elephants, compared to non-FSC certified forests. The research was led by Utrecht University with support from WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and was published in Nature on 10 April 2024. It un...

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – As highlighted by both national and international media, a severe winter weather disaster—the phenomenon known as a ‘dzud’—during the 2023-2024 winter has presented unprecedented challenges for the people of Mongolia. Wildlife is also experiencing dzud, however much less information is available on impact and trends. Recent reports by Mongolia’s Emergency Management Agency indicate the loss of over 5.2 million livestock animals by March...