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...

Arrests latest in enforcement crackdown in Niassa National Reserve Operation coincides with new conservation law to deter poachers Marrupa, Mozambique, Sept. 29, 2014–Two known ivory poachers were arrested and five illegal firearms seized on Monday, September 22nd near Niassa National Reserve by a joint force including Niassa Reserve scouts from WCS and the Ministry of Tourism, supported by the new branch of the Mozambican police in charge of environmental crimes, and other scouts from the Luwir...

Native groups from U.S. and Canada join to support restoration of bison; renew cultural and spiritual ties BOZEMAN, MT (September 24, 2014) – Yesterday afternoon, dignitaries from U.S. Tribes and Canadian First Nations signed a treaty—the first among them in more than 150 years—to establish intertribal alliances for cooperation in the restoration of American buffalo (or bison) on Tribal/First Nations Reserves or co-managed lands within the U.S. and Canada. This historic signing of the “Norther...

For the second year in a row, Senate designates National Bison Day to celebrate bison’s contributions to our culture, economy and environment Celebration of America’s Largest Land Mammal will be November 1st this year Washington, D.C. – September 18, 2014 – The Vote Bison Coalition today applauded the U.S. Senate’s passage of a resolution to celebrate National Bison Day this year on November 1. The Vote Bison Coalition, comprised of the Inter-Tribal Buffalo Council, National Bison Association,...

Orlando, Florida, Sept. 15, 2014 – The following statement was issued today by Wildlife Conservation Society President and CEO Cristián Samper from the 2014 AZA Annual Conference: “We applaud the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), for launching a global design challenge on how to use the ivory from the U.S. ivory crush. “The six-ton U.S. ivory crush in November sparked ivory destruction events by nations across the glo...

Wildlife Conservation Society commends President for acknowledging community efforts New York (September 11, 2014)— Guatemala’s President Otto Perez Molina recently congratulated the community members of Uaxactún, a village in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, for their contributions in conserving the country’s natural and cultural heritage, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. On September 5th, the president traveled to village of Uaxactún to thank its residents in person. The visit repre...

All proceeds will support the New York Aquarium as it rebuilds and transformsThe eco-friendly event will feature wines from The Hess Collection and sustainable food selections from New York City’s top restaurantsThursday, Sept. 18, 2014 at 6 p.m. New York – Sept. 5, 2014 – The Wildlife Conservation Society will host the second annual Sip for the Sea at the Central Park Zoo on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014. The event will bring together some of New York City’s top chefs to serve up sustainable seafood...

New York (August 28, 2014)—A new study reports that an expansion of marine protected areas is needed to protect fish species that perform key ecological functions. According to investigators from the Wildlife Conservation Society and other organizations, previous efforts at protecting fish have focused on saving the largest numbers of species, often at the expense of those species that provide key and difficult-to-replace ecological functions. Many vital ecological functions of ocean ecology a...

WCS supports legislation to make bison the national mammal Flushing, N.Y. – July 25, 2014 – The herd of American bison (Bison bison) at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Queens Zoo just got bigger with the addition of three new females from the Bronx Zoo. Including the new additions, the Queens Zoo is home to seven bison. They share a prairie exhibit with pronghorn, an antelope-like species that is also native to North America. Bison are large, majestic mammals that live in large herds ...

In a blog for the Huffington Post, K. Ullas Karanth, Regional Science Director with WCS's Asia Program, challenges India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi, to balance economic development with natural resource protection.