New plan would create “Priority Primate Areas” to protect all 27 of Tanzania’s primate species and key habitats  First full inventory of primates for Tanzania confirms wealth of rare species and ranks species and sites for conservation attention NEW YORK (July 16, 2013) — A five-year study by the Wildlife Conservation Society gives new hope to some of the world’s most endangered primates by establishing a roadmap to protect all 27 species in Tanzania – the most primate-diverse c...

Marine researchers find that many more sharks swim in a Fijian marine reserve in which fishing is prohibited compared to adjacent areas that permit fishing.

NEW YORK (Monday, July 15, 2013)— The Wildlife Conservation Society today hosted U.S. State Department Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment Robert D. Hormats at WCS’s Central Park Zoo, where the global issue of illegal wildlife trafficking of elephants, tigers, and other endangered species was discussed. At the event, hosted by WCS President and CEO Dr. Cristián Samper and others, Hormats discussed the challenges posed by wildlife trafficking to national and international...

Wildlife Conservation Society study reveals main drivers of botfly infection Higher precipitation levels and deforestation leading to increased parasitism of developing chicks NEW YORK (July 15, 2013)—A new report by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Disease Ecology Laboratory of Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral, Argentina (ICIVET LITORAL, UNL-CONICET) shows that increases in precipitation and changes in vegetative structure in Argentine forests – factors driven by cl...

Study by WCS and University of Western Australia finds reef sharks two to four times more abundant in a marine reserve compared to nearby fished areas NEW YORK (July 11, 2013)—Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of Western Australia have found that Fiji’s largest marine reserve contains more sharks than surrounding areas that allow fishing, evidence that marine protected areas can be good for sharks. In a study of the no-take reserve’s shark populations, th...

Wildlife Conservation Society scientist honored for field research, informing environmental stewardship,  and inspiring future scientists Bozeman, MT (July 8, 2013) –The Wildlife Conservation Society announced that WCS Senior Conservation Scientist Dr. Joel Berger has been awarded the prestigious 2013 Aldo Leopold Award from the American Society of Mammologists (ASM)—an award that recognizes outstanding lasting contributions made by an individual to the conservation of mammals and th...

Dr. Merry Camhi, who directs WCS’s New York Seascape Program at the New York Aquarium, discusses challenges for sharks at large, and for one beleaguered East Coast species that is the subject of loopholes in shark-finning regulations.

Flushing, N.Y. – July 8, 2013 – An endangered southern pudu, (Pudu puda), the world’s smallest deer, was born at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo. The young doe weighed 1 pound at birth; could weigh as much as 20 pounds as an adult. The fawn is still nursing but will soon transition to fresh leaves, grain, kale, carrots and hay. Pudu have extraordinary characteristics: they will bark when they sense danger and can climb fallen trees. Although small in stature, only 12 to 14 inch...

Bronx, NY – July 2, 2013 – A frog beetle displays iridescent coloration in its exhibit at JungleWorld at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo. Frog beetles are one of an estimated 400,000 species of beetles. The frog beetle is native to the jungles of Southeast Asia. Their back legs are large in comparison to their bodies, giving them a frog-like appearance. Their legs are covered with thousands of hair follicles to help them climb and cling to foliage. The males are larger than their...

WCS conservationists, together with officials from South Sudan’s Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, have ramped up efforts to protect the country’s last elephants by fitting individual animals with GPS collars for remote tracking.