Bronx, New York (January 22, 2014) -- The following statement was issued today by Dr. Cristián Samper, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society: "The Wildlife Conservation Society expresses its alarm at the new findings released yesterday by IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, indicating the heightened threatened status of the world’s sharks, rays, skates and chimeras, the cartilaginous fishes.“A global analysis of the conservation status of the 1,041 specie...

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...

NEW YORK (December 20) – SILVER BELLS, SILVERBACK -- The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) released this stunning camera trap photo of a silverback Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) taken in Nigeria’ s Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary. Cross River gorillas are the rarest of the four gorilla subspecies – numbering fewer than 300 individuals and found only in the forested, mountainous border region of Nigeria and Cameroon. WCS conservation work at this site is supported by Save our Sp...

A recent study discovered that bonobos, formerly known as pygmy chimpanzees, are in danger of losing their habitats.

In the New York Times, reporter Lisa W. Foderaro covers the illness, treatment and recovery of Holli, one of the Bronx Zoo's 18 gorillas and the dominant female in her troop. The article offers a behind-the-scenes look at the zoo, a leader in conservation and zoo science. Holli's surgery and recuperation took place in the zoo’s 30,000-square-foot health center, one of the most sophisticated animal medical facilities in the country, with three wards, a nursery, an intensive care unit, molecular a...

Conservationists are working with local communities to protect the biodiversity of the Albertine Rift.

Loss of elephants, gorillas and other species threatens long-term persistence of forests Study by the Universities of Stirling, Oxford, Queensland, and WCS warn of imminent ecological collapse caused by unsustainable huntingand other factors NEW YORK (July 22, 2013)—Scientists from the Universities of Stirling, Oxford, Queensland and the Wildlife Conservation Society warn that current hunting trends in Central African forests could result in complete ecological collapse. The authors maintain ...

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...

Bronx, New York, March 31, 2013 -- Pattycake, the first gorilla born in New York City, died today at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo at 40 years old. Pattycake was under medical care due to her advanced age and she was being treated for chronic cardiac issues. A necropsy was performed today and more conclusive results will follow. Pattycake was born at the Central Park Zoo on Sept. 3, 1972 to parents Kongo and Lulu. Since her birth, she was loved by New Yorkers who were captivat...

Setting the record straight about Grauer’s gorilla,  potentially the most threatened gorilla in the world NEW YORK (March 13, 2013) – The world’s leading conservation organizations have joined together to fight for the survival of the Endangered Grauer’s or eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri). Found only in the mountain and mid-altitude forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Grauer's gorilla is not only the largest of the four gorilla subspecies ...