News Releases

Wildlife serves as indicator of potential health threats NEW YORK (March 11, 2010)—A group of Argentine scientists, including health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society, have announced that yellow fever is the culprit in a 2007-2008 die-off of howler monkeys in northeastern Argentina, a finding that underscores the importance of paying attention to the health of wildlife and how the health of people and wild nature are so closely linked. The paper—appearing in a rec...
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Flushing, N.Y. – March 10, 2010 – The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo is looking for a few animal lovers to join its volunteer team. Becoming a volunteer with the zoo’s education department means teaching schoolchildren and zoo visitors about animals by giving guided tours, assisting with special programs and events, and participating in many other exciting and educational wildlife-themed activities. Some exciting activities Queens Zoo volunteers will take part in include: Teach...
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New analysis predicts large mammal extinctions in India unless regional conservation planning takes place Wildlife Conservation Society recommends park expansion NEW YORK (March 10, 2010)—A study on the past extinction of large mammals in India by the Wildlife Conservation Society, Duke University, and other groups has found that country’s protected area system and human cultural tolerance for some species are key to conserving the subcontinent’s t...
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An Inca tern takes flight in the Sea Bird Aviary at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo. Native to the rocky Pacific coast of South America, the Inca tern possesses distinctive, moustache-like feathers on each side of its head. Visitors to the zoo can see more than 40 Inca terns soaring over the Aviary’s cliffs and pools, which resemble the bird’s native habitat. WCS Bronx Zoo’s Inca terns are just one of the many attractions visitors can enjoy this spring. WCS will be kicking off th...
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Brooklyn, NY – March, 2010 – The Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is now accepting applications for summer volunteer docent positions.  Docents contribute to the enhancement of the visitor’s experience in a variety of ways. Once training is complete, WCS New York Aquarium docents will be able to interpret exhibits, staff information and craft tables for aquarium special events, assist the Education Department instructors with school and family programs, assist in our Aquatheater...
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Dr. Howard Rosenbaum, director of the WCS-Ocean Giants Program, discusses the ins and outs of marine conservation, his contribution to categorizing a new species of right whale, and his favorite bay in the world.
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These baby degus are one month old. Degus are native to South America and live in large groups called colonies. They are found in rock outcroppings and are highly social and very active. Visitors to the Mouse House can see degu babies in different stages from infants to adolescents, as there are many new mothers this time of year. The Bronx Zoo's baby degus are one of many attractions planned for spring. The Bronx Zoo will be kicking off the season with Animal Tales Extravaganza; every weekend ...
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Brooklyn, N.Y. - Because of their striking appearance, red panda’s Qin, a male, and Mei Lin, a female, are hard to miss. Visitors to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Prospect Park Zoo can see their vibrant red coats and pale white faces on the zoo’s Discovery Trail. Both pandas spend their time climbing trees and exploring their surroundings. “From January through March visitors can see Qin and Mei Lin playfully court each other as their mating season is at its peak,” says WCS Prospect ...
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Con Edison Presents the 2nd Annual 5k and Family Fun Run at WCS’s Bronx Zoo Former Pro Bowl running back, Tiki Barber, returns as the Run for the Wild's official starter Registration is now open at www.wcs.runforthewild.org April 24, 2010 - Race Day Bronx, N.Y. – March 4, 2010 – Calling all runners and ath...
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Gland, Switzerland, Tuesday 2 March 2010 (IUCN) – The next 10 to 20 years could be extremely significant for restoring wild populations of American bison to their original roaming grounds. But for this to happen, more land must be made available for herds to roam free, government policies must be updated and the public must change its attitude towards bison. A new publication by IUCN, ‘American Bison: Status Survey and Conservation Guidelines 2010’, reports on the current status of American bison, in the wild and in conservation herds, and makes recommendations on how to ensure that the species is conserved for the future.

“Although the effort to restore bison to the plains of North America is considered to be one of the most ambitious and complex undertakings in species conservation efforts in North America, it will only succeed if legislation is introduced at a local and national level, with significant funding and a shift in attitude towards the animal,” says Simon Stuart, Chair, IUCN Species Survival Commission.

Five hundred years ago, tens of millions of American bison roamed free on the plains of North America, from Alaska to northern Mexico. Now the American bison – which includes both plains and wood bison - is listed as Near Threatened on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species™. As of 2008, there were approximately 400,000 bison in commercial herds in North America, some 93 percent of the continental population. But little progress has been made in recent decades to increase the number of animals in conservation herds, which are managed carefully for their genetic diversity and ecological roles. In 2008, there were 61 plains bison conservation herds in North America containing about 20,500 animals, and 11 conservation herds of wood bison, containing nearly 11,000 animals.

“While substantial progress in saving bison from extinction was made in the 20th Century, much work remains to restore conservation herds throughout their vast geographical range,” says University of Calgary Environmental Design Professor and co-editor of the study, Dr. Cormack Gates, who is also co-Chair of the IUCN/SSC Bison Specialist Group. “The key is recognition that the bison is a wildlife species and to be conserved as wildlife, it needs land and supportive government policies.” 

The survival of bison populations is affected by many factors, including limited habitat and severe winters. Yet the greatest challenge is to overcome the common perception that the bison, which has had a profound influence on the human history of North America, socially, culturally and ecologically, no longer belongs on the landscape.

“The decimation of the American Bison in the late 1800s inspired the first recovery of bison and an entire conservation movement that protected wildlife and wild places across North America,” says Keith Aune, Senior Conservation Scientist, Wildlife Conservation Society. The IUCN Status Survey and Conservation Guidelines provide a new framework for inspiring a second recovery of bison and restoring functional grassland ecosystems.”

Bison have the best chance of full recovery as wildlife by being allowed to roam freely across hundreds of thousands or even millions of hectares. Making this possible poses one of the biggest challenges for restoring bison herds as both public and private landowners will need to give their support.

“The bison is the largest land mammal in North America, and yet it is perhaps the most neglected icon,” says Steve Forrest, WWF Northern Great Plains Manager for Conservation Science.

“These guidelines provide a roadmap for bringing the bison back to its rightful place as a keystone of the great plains." 

 

Editor’s notes:

American Bison: Status Survey and Conservation Guidelines 2010  was edited by Cormack Gates, Curtis Freese, Peter Gogan and Mandy Kotzman, and is the product of more than three years of cooperative effort by numerous contributors.

The production of the report was made possible with funding from several non-governmental organizations and government agencies including the World Wildlife Fund, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Calgary Faculty of Environmental Design, the American Bison Society, the US Geological Survey and the US National Parks Service.

PDF version of the report and photos available at: www.iucn.org/?4750



Media team:

Nicki Chadwick, Media Relations Officer, IUCN, t. +41 22 999 0229, m +41 76 771 4208, e nicki.chadwick@iucn.org

Vanessa Ferreira, Media Relations, the University of Calgary Faculty of Environmental Design, t. +1 403-210-6854, e ferreirv@ucalgary.ca 

Mara Johnson, Media Relations, World Wildlife Fund, t. +1 406 585 3022, e mara.johnson@wwfus.org

Stephen Sautner, Director of Communications, Wildlife Conservation Society, t. +1 718 220 3682, e ssautner@wcs.org

 


About IUCN
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.

IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,000 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. www.iucn.org


About University of Calgary Faculty of Environmental Design
www.ucalgary.ca/evds

About World Wildlife Fund
www.worldwildlife.org

About Wildlife Conservation Society
www.wcs.org

About The American Bison Society
www.americanbisonsocietyonline.org

About US Geological Survey
www.usgs.gov

About US National Parks Service
www.nationalparks.org

 

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