WCS congratulates Kalyar Platt of The Turtle Survival Alliance for winning the 10th Annual John L. Behler Turtle Conservation Award. Read about Kalyar’s story in a press release from TSA.

The Acehnese provincial Police (Polda Aceh), the East Acehnese Police (Polres Aceh Timur), and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wildlife Crimes Unit (WCU) announced today an enforcement action against wildlife poachers and a dealer for trading tiger parts. The perpetrators were arrested in Aceh Tamiang, Aceh on August 8, 2015. 

New York - July 30, 2015 - The United Nations General Assembly today passed a sweeping resolution that targets the global problem of wildlife trafficking, calling on all 193 UN member states (governments of the world) to take on a series of actions to “prevent, combat, and eradicate the illegal trade in wildlife.”

New York - July 25, 2015  –The following statement was released today by WCS President and CEO Cristián Samper, who also serves on the U.S. Federal Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking. Samper’s statement concerns remarks by President Obama delivered in Kenya on ivory.

A logging company, working with local authorities and WCS, has agreed to begin dismantling abandoned logging roads currently being used by poachers to access prime Amur (Siberian) tiger habitat in the Russian Far East.

Polda Bengkulu (Bengkulu Police) supported by Polres Kaur (District Police), the Government of Indonesia, WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit (WCU), TRAFFIC, and the Rhino Protection Unit (RPU) announced today the arrest of an Asian elephant ivory trader.

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) and the Royal Government of Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration announced today that 21 captive-raised southern river terrapins have been released back into their native habitat in southwest Cambodia. More than 150 villagers, government representatives, and religious leaders attended ceremonies for the release.

July 6, 2015 – A consortium of conservation groups are rallying together to save thousands of illegally harvested turtles confiscated during a warehouse raid by authorities on the Philippine island of Palawan. 

WCS has joined with other conservation groups  to urge the European Union to ban the use of the veterinary anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac because of its harmful effects on vulture populations.

The Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Division (BARESKRIM MABES POLRI), the Government of Indonesia, and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wildlife Crimes Unit (WCU) today announced the seizure of a shipment of pangolins headed to China and valued at approximately 1.8 million US dollars (USD).