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...

Bronx, NY – Jan. 22, 2014 – Attached Photo: Brown Bears at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo “bear-ly” notice the 8-degree temperatures and feel right at home in 11 inches of fresh snow.CONTACT:Max Pulsinelli: 571-218-7601; mpulsinelli@wcs.orgThe Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, 5:30 p.m. weekends from April to October; 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m November to March. Adult admission is $16.95, children (3-12 years old) $11.95, c...

As overfishing pushes more and more shark and ray species to the brink, WCS is increasing its commitment to the conservation of these fish and their relatives over the next 10 years.

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...

The U.S.’s confusing web of ivory trade laws remains easy to manipulate—and helps keep New York City as one of the world’s largest ivory markets.

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...

Initiative focuses on wildlife moving in and out of U.S. parks BOZEMAN (January 16, 2014) — A new paper details a collaboration between the National Park Service (NPS) and outside experts, including Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists, in developing recommendations to conserve aerial, marine, and terrestrial populations of migrating wildlife that move in and out of U.S. national parks, often coming from distant regions of the globe.The paper, “Optimism and Challenge for Science-b...

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...