WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit Assists Ministry in Bust Arrest marks latest enforcement action of Indonesia’s recent national protection of manta rays Indonesia operates largest known shark and ray fisheries on earth NEW YORK (November 12, 2014) – The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia and the WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society’s) Wildlife Crimes Unit announced the largest confiscation of illegal manta ray parts as part of...

Only One in Four Protected Areas is Well Managed Gland, Switzerland, 6 November 2014 – A fundamental step-change involving an increase in funding and political commitment is urgently needed to ensure that protected areas deliver their full conservation, social and economic potential, according to an article published today in Nature by experts from Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Queensland, and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). The paper, The performance ...

With the help of WCS's Wildlife Crimes Unit, the Indonesian authorities arrested two traders allegedly involved in the shipment of one whole tiger skin, two stuffed tiger paws, one stuffed tiger head, and a tiger claw. The arrests took place near Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, one of the most important sites globally for Sumatran tiger.

WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit assists Ministry in bustArrest marks first-ever enforcement action of Indonesia’s recent national protection of manta raysIndonesia operates largest known shark and ray fisheries on earthNEW YORK (SEPTEMBER 30, 2014) – The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), Government of Indonesia, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)’s Wildlife Crimes Unit announced today the first-ever series of enforcement actions against a trader of sharks and rays in Indonesia...

Fewer than 1,000 critically endangered Siamese crocodiles remain in the wild NEW YORK (August 28, 2014) – The Wildlife Conservation Society announced today the successful release of 17 juvenile critically endangered Siamese crocodiles into a protected wetland in Lao PDR. The one-to-two-year-old crocodiles, which range between 50-100 cm (20-39 inches) in length, were raised in facilities managed by local communities working with WCS to protect the endangered reptiles and their habitat. The juven...

WCS’s New York Zoos maintain 50 species of snakes New York (July 15, 2014)—The Wildlife Conservation Society and its flagship Bronx Zoo are celebrating World Snake Day (Wednesday, July 16th) with its continuing efforts to educate the public about this amazing group of reptiles. “Numbering more than 3,400 species worldwide, snakes occupy a wide range of tropical and temperate ecosystems, including deserts, mountains summits, and even marine environments. Since 2008, 309 new snake species have be...

New York (June 4, 2014)—Police in Indonesia’s Aceh Province have confiscated a number of illegally held live animals and wildlife parts from the homes of suspected wildlife traffickers, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. The Aceh Police—led by Second Police Officer Afrinal and Chief Police Officer Brigadier Roni Asmui—conducted their raid on May 27-28th, working in tandem with WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit (WCU), the SOCP (Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme), and the Ministry o...

Follow @TheWCS and @JimBreheny to see cool turtle picsNew York (May 23, 2014)—The Wildlife Conservation Society, including its flagship Bronx Zoo, is celebrating World Turtle Day with its continued commitment to saving this increasingly threatened group of animals. “The Wildlife Conservation Society makes turtle conservation a priority every day of the year,” said Jim Breheny, WCS Executive Vice President and Bronx Zoo Director. “It’s on World Turtle Day that we make the added effort to increase...

Komodo dragons make first return to the Bronx since the 1950s Exhibit also features rock monitors, tree monitors, and water monitors Carefully replicated habitats demonstrate diverse landscapes where lizards live B-Roll Download:Bronx Zoo Komodo Dragons b-roll.mov YouTubeVideo:http://youtu.be/jcKpcIl5YyQvBronx, NY – May 23, 2014 – Memorial Day weekend marks the opening of the WCS Bronx Zoo’s newest habitat, “Amazing Monitors,” which features Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) – the world’s lar...

Aceh provincial police took big steps for elephants, when they arrested two suspects in possession of ivory, elephant teeth and elephant bone early in May.