Game-Changing: Plan Includes Marshaling All Federal Agencies to Address Wildlife Crime and a Ban on Trade in Elephant Ivory Washington, DC – February 11, 2014 – The following statement was released today by WCS President and CEO Cristián Samper, who also serves as a member of the United States Advisory Council to the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking:“The United States government committed today its full power behind efforts to end the crime of wildlife trafficking. Wildlife crimi...

Opening Remarks by Dr. John G. Robinson, WCS Chief Conservation Officer and Executive Vice President of Conservation and Science“This symposium is less about political consensus and more about prioritizing the strategies and approaches." London, Feb. 11, 2014 – The following remarks were delivered today by Dr. John G. Robinson, WCS Chief Conservation Officer and Executive Vice President of Conservation and Science, at the opening of the International Wildlife Trafficking Symposium at the Zoologi...

Uganda Develops Database For Wildlife Crime Offenders WCS and Uganda Wildlife Authority collaborate on online tool LONDON (February 10, 2014) – The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) announced today a collaboration to produce an online tool that will allow law enforcement officials to access a database that tracks offenders of wildlife crime in real-time and across the country. The announcement was made as conservationists gather from around the world for th...

Dr. Susan Lieberman, WCS Executive Director of Conservation Policy, spoke today at the special civil society session of the United Nation’s Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals: “The Rio+20 ‘The Future We Want’ outcome document, in para. 203, recognizes the economic, social and environmental impacts of trafficking in wildlife, and the importance of effective international cooperation among relevant international organizations. The SDGs can now help turn that into reality...

An international trader with ties to global crime syndicates was arrested today for smuggling live animals, including baby siamangs and komodo dragons.

Trader connected to crime syndicates in Russia, Singapore, Thailand, and Cyprus Operation was completed by Ministry of Forestry and Jakarta National Police Criminal Investigation Division, with technical assistance from WCS’s Wildlife Crimes UnitNEW YORK (January 23, 2014) — The Wildlife Conservation Society announced today the arrest of a wildlife trader in Indonesia who specialized in smuggling live animals including baby primates and komodo dragons. The arrest was made in Bali by forest rang...

WCS applauds appropriations bill that grows key conservation funding accounts and will help address elephant poaching crisis Support for USAID, GEF, and Dept. of the Interior programs is preserved Washington, DC – January 17, 2014 – The Wildlife Conservation Society hailed the omnibus Fiscal Year 2014 spending bill passed this week by Congress, which maintains key conservation accounts and creates a new funding source to combat wildlife trafficking while ensuring budgetary stability over the ne...

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...

WCS applauds the Parliament’s wide-ranging wildlife crime resolution condemning illegal elephant killing and other illegal trafficking activities Resolution calls on E.U. Member States to introduce moratoria on all trade in ivory products until wild elephant populations are no longer threatened by illegal killing Brussels – 15 January, 2014 – The European Parliament took powerful action against illegal elephant killing through the passage of a groundbreaking resolution on wildlife trafficking th...

Assembly Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation Will Examine Effectiveness of New York Restrictions on Ivory Sales Hearing will take place Thursday, January 16, in Manhattan New York is the largest market for ivory in the U.S. 96 Elephants are killed every day by ivory poachers NEW YORK (January 14, 2013) – The New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation announced a public hearing on ways to improve the effectiveness of the state’s laws and regulations prot...