Ramon, or breadnut, is among the crops harvested by local communities in the Maya Biosphere Reserve. The nutrient-rich seed was once a staple of the Mayas, whose civilization was centered here.

Wildlife Conservation Society commends President for acknowledging community efforts New York (September 11, 2014)— Guatemala’s President Otto Perez Molina recently congratulated the community members of Uaxactún, a village in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, for their contributions in conserving the country’s natural and cultural heritage, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. On September 5th, the president traveled to village of Uaxactún to thank its residents in person. The visit repre...

Brooklyn Bridge Forest initiative works to link NYC residents and local communities in Guatemala to replace aging promenadeWatch the video >> NEW YORK (January 29, 2014)—The Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups are finalists for the Yale ISTF Forest Finance Innovation Prize for the consortium’s proposed concept to replace the aging promenade of the Brooklyn Bridge with sustainably harvested wood from Guatemala. The winner of the $5,000 prize—being awarded for the first time by ...

Prize Officials Encourage People to Take Action as More Species are at Risk of Extinction INDIANAPOLIS — Thirty-nine conservationists who have dedicated their lives to saving the Earth’s endangered species have been nominated to receive the biennial Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation. The winner of the Prize will receive an unrestricted $250,000 cash award and the Lilly Medal. Five other finalists will each receive $10,000. The nominees’ work spans the globe...

A newly published WCS database shows the range of 116 species of Bolivian mammals, from the obscure “Count Branickii’s terrible mouse” to the mighty jaguar. The database will help shape future conservation decisions for some of South America’s most threatened and charismatic wildlife.

New Large-scale Jaguar Camera-trap Study Underway in GuatemalaWildlife Conservation Society Issues New Manual for Catching Conservation in Action New York (May 28, 2013) – The Wildlife Conservation Society today released this photograph of a male jaguar taken by a remote camera trap in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve. Activated by motion or heat differentials, camera traps “capture” pictures of secretive and elusive animals in the wild. Because each jaguar’s pattern of spots is unique,...

First images of peccaries eating fish in Brazil’s Pantanal indicate a more varied diet for the species NEW YORK (April 29, 2013)—It turns out the white-lipped peccary—a piglike animal from Central and South America—will settle for fish when fruits (its main food) are no longer on the menu, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society and partners revealing the first-ever photos of fish-eating peccaries. The images of fish consumption by white-lipped peccaries were taken by Douglas Fernandes ...

Paradise Found for Latin America’s Largest Land Mammal WCS documents at least 14,500 lowland tapirs thriving in Peru and Bolivia’s Madidi-Tambopata Landscape Weighing over 650 pounds, lowland tapirs are threatened by over-hunting and habitat loss NEW YORK (January 22, 2012) —Wildlife Conservation Society scientists have documented a thriving population of lowland tapirs – the strange forest and grassland-dwelling herbivore with the trunk-like snout – living in a network of remote nat...

A WCS camera trap snapped a photo of the rarely seen oncilla, and the BBC has recognized the photo via its annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest.

Photograph documents first record of an oncilla in Madidi National Park NEW YORK (November 29, 2012) — A photograph taken by Wildlife Conservation Society scientists of a little known Bolivian cat species called an oncilla has won a BBC Wildlife camera-trap photo competition. The photo, which won the New Discoveries category, documents the first-known occurrence of this extremely rare spotted cat in Madidi National Park. The Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) occurs across the Amazon and al...