A statement was released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society from CITES CoP18 concerning elephants and ivory.  Said Dr. Susan Lieberman, VP of International Policy for the Wildlife Conservation Society: “The decisions today by the Parties at CITES CoP18 mean it’s status quo for elephants: No international commercial ivory trade is permitted and that is what needs to happen. CITES Parties agreed not to open any ivory trade, and to further call on governments to close their domestic ivory markets."

As the European Union (EU) continues deliberations on the potential closure of its domestic ivory market, WCS noted recent developments to call for the strongest EU trade ban possible.

NEW YORK  (3 April 2018) – Today, elephant conservation received a tremendous boost when the United Kingdom announced an end to all exports, imports and domestic sales of elephant ivory with very few narrow exemptions.

Bronx, NY, Dec. 31, 2017 — WCS President and CEO Cristian Samper released the following statement today as China honors its 2017 New Year's resolution to make the sale and processing of ivory illegal.

NEW YORK (August 11, 2017) – WCS helped ring in World Elephant Day, occurring this Saturday, August 12, by ringing the stock market closing bell at Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square.

(NEW YORK, APRIL 3, 2017) While many rightly voice concern over the plight of African elephants that are undergoing a precipitous decline in number, Asian elephants are facing a catastrophic, yet less well documented decline of their own.

YANGON (January 26, 2017): Urgent action is needed to reverse the decline in the wild elephant population of Myanmar, while securing the future of the country’s former timber-trade elephants. These conclusions have been outlined in the Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan (MECAP)— the country’s first ever plan for the conservation of this species developed through extensive consultation over the last 12 months and culminating in a workshop last week in Naypyitaw. 

New York  (Jan. 3, 2016)  –  Today WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) is releasing an English language version of China’s historic announcement on ivory made on Dec. 30, 2016. The text was translated by WCS.

BRONX, NY – November 17, 2016 – It’s official! WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation Society) Bronx Zoo is home to the world’s largest display of origami elephants and has been certified by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS.tm

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Oct. 5, 2016) – The decisions, resolutions and proposals adopted at the 17th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) made it a little better to be an elephant.