News From the Wild 2008

2009 Is for the Birds With support from WCS, Argentina declares a new coastal marine park to protect half a million penguins, cormorants, oystercatchers, and other rare seabirds.

A Coral Comeback A combination of improved management and natural regeneration is helping corals stage a rapid comeback in Indonesia following the December 2004 tsunami.

Schaller Wins China Prize WCS senior conservationist George Schaller wins the China Environment Prize for his work on behalf of the country’s giant pandas, Tibetan antelope, and snow leopards.

Home for the Holidays After a year-long hiatus, New York City’s most famous beaver, José, is back home where he belongs—on the Bronx Zoo’s riverbank. Watch him build his new lodge.

One Thousand Elephants Elephants are hanging on in Zakouma National Park, but poaching remains a threat. To protect the herds, WCS monitors the park by plane and by working with local authorities. Help us save 1,000 elephants.

Save Our Zoo and Aquarium! The proposed state budget cuts for 2009 and the complete elimination of state funding in 2010 for zoos, botanical gardens, and aquariums mean we face devastating cuts. Help save the Bronx Zoo & NY Aquarium

Year of the Gorilla WCS revs up its efforts to conserve gorillas across their range in Africa to coincide with the launch of the Year of the Gorilla in 2009.

Haven for Rarest Gorilla A new national park in Cameroon will protect the Cross River gorilla and other species. The park links up with Nigeria's Cross River National Park to give the apes more room to roam.

Survey Says: Let Bison Roam A national survey says that the public reveres buffalo, but most are unaware that the animals are in trouble. The survey is part of an effort to spark ecological restoration.

Tour Belize with Matt Lauer Matt Lauer of the Today Show reports from the coast of Belize, where he chats with WCS scientists at work at the Glover’s Reef Research Station. Watch the episode!

WCS Congratulates Obama WCS congratulates President-Elect Barack Obama and Vice President-Elect Joe Biden for their historic election to lead our nation as we face tremendous challenges at home and abroad.

Rare Cat Captured A rare female Far Eastern leopard is captured and released along the Russian-Chinese border. The leopard, one of about 40 in existence, is in good shape.

Danger: Elephant Crossing Poorly planned roads, which are spreading across Central African wilderness areas, attract poachers and cause fear and death among forest elephants.

New WCS Photo Exhibit at UN The photo exhibit "Gateways to Conservation: Connecting People to Nature" is on display at the Visitors’ Lobby of the United Nations headquarters in NYC through Jan. 23.

Help Clean Up Our River! New federal funding is available to support projects dedicated to Bronx River restoration and education in 2009. Learn more and apply for a grant.

Penguins Feast in Argentina Argentina bans commercial fishing in Burdwood Bank, a key marine wildlife area in the Patagonian ecosystem that is a feeding ground for penguins, whales, and albatross, among other species.

Beavers Dam Good for Birds A WCS study finds that the busy beaver’s signature dams provide critical habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds, particularly in the semi-arid interior of the West.

The Deadly Dozen Wildlife monitoring is the best defense against spreading pathogens, according to a report released by WCS that lists 12 wildlife-human disease threats in the age of climate change.

City Bears Live Fast, Die Young A WCS study conducted around Lake Tahoe, Nevada shows that a life of garbage-eating, early pregnancies, and violent deaths plague black bears in the big city.

Bronx Zoo Hosts World Leader Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana enjoyed a unique opportunity to tour his homeland at the Bronx Zoo’s new Madagascar! exhibit on September 21.

Chimp Eden WCS facilitates an agreement between Rwanda and Burundi to protect the largest mountain forest block in East Africa—home to chimpanzees and other endangered primates.

Carnivores on Camera In Myanmar’s wild lands, camera traps set up by WCS researchers provide glimpses on the lost world of tigers, civets, and other predators.

Poachers Feel the Heat WCS’s Wildlife Crime Unit helps intercept the trade in illegal tiger parts on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Ten arrests have been made in three months.

Gibbons Hang Tough in Asia In Cambodia, WCS researchers find thousands of endangered primates living in a park that was recently the domain of loggers and hunters. Take action to save Asia’s primates.

Elephant Elders Know Better A WCS study suggests that the experience of matriarchs may help herds survive in the age of climate change, when animals may have to contend with increasing drought.

Big Boost for Great Apes A groundbreaking census by WCS scientists shows massive numbers of endangered western lowland gorillas alive and well in the Republic of Congo. Watch footage of the gorillas.

Close Encounters in the Arctic In the midst of studying the eroded coastlines of northern Alaska, a WCS crew of scientists faces a new and unusual threat: a polar bear landlocked by climate change.

Help Save Congo’s Gorilla Take action to protect the newly discovered population of western lowland gorillas. Urge Congress to increase funding to global priority species in their natural habitats.

New Monkey Faces Old Threats Poaching and illegal logging have driven Tanzania’s kipunji monkey, discovered just three years ago, to the brink of extinction in its tiny forest home.

An Uncommon Partnership A WCS-led study examines the role conservation organizations can play to help alleviate poverty in the world's wild places.

WCS in Washington A champion for forest conservation, environmental education, and wildlife from New York to the Serengeti, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy has been a great friend to WCS.

Teens Unite for Planet Earth WCS honored 25 enterprising teams of teenagers who completed environmental service projects across the world, working on behalf of bees, toads, wetlands, and more.

Shopping 101 for Soldiers During Annual Safety Day at Fort Drum, WCS teaches soldiers about illegal wildlife trade products to help protect endangered species in countries where they are stationed.

Protecting the Pronghorn Path The U.S. Forest Service designates the nation’s first wildlife migration corridor to protect the movement of North America’s fastest land animal, the pronghorn.

New Gadgets for Guanacos Eight guanacos in Chile’s Karukinka Reserve are wearing radio-collars as part of a study to preserve a critical population of these animals, known for their spectacular migration.

New at the Zoo: Madagascar! The Bronx Zoo's newest exhibit features the wildlife and plants of the world’s fourth largest island and is located in NYC's first “green” renovated landmark building.

Jump-Start for Bronx Schools WCS receives a $50,000 grant from Chase to provide underserved public schools in the Bronx with science classes focusing on conservation and affordable field trips to the Bronx Zoo.

On Sale in Madagascar: Carbon To save Madagascar’s pristine forests and combat climate change, WCS and the government of Madagascar agree to launch a massive carbon sale, totaling more than nine million tons.

Champion for Wild Tanzania Dr. Tim Davenport, who discovered a new monkey genus, the kipunji, in Tanzania has won the 2008 Parker Gentry Award for Conservation Biology.

Vote for Ecotourism in Gabon Help support the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Gabon Ecotourism Project, chosen as a finalist in the Geotourism Challenge Competition. Vote now.

Teshekpuk Goes to the Birds Birds and other wildlife score protection from energy exploration in Alaska’s Teshekpuk Lake region. At 23 million acres, Teshekpuk is the largest single piece of public land in the U.S.

Poster Child of Climate Change The federal Endangered Species Act now lists the polar bear as Threatened. A WCS study that showed Alaska’s bears are vulnerable to climate change helped inform this decision. WCS's Dr. Sanderson comments

Bright Future for Bison It will take a country and likely a century, but conservationists believe they can restore the American bison to a surprising amount of its former range.

A Cure for Congestion Capital funding from the New York State Assembly will help the Bronx Zoo build an intermodal transportation parking facility to reduce congestion at its gates and in the surrounding streets.

State of the Wild WCS launches the 2008 edition of State of the Wild, called “a handbook for the coming rumble over life on Earth.” Excerpts, audio commentaries, photos, and more offer a taste of what’s inside.

Good News for Great Apes With support from WCS, the government of Cameroon creates the world’s first sanctuary exclusively for the Cross River gorilla, the rarest of the four gorilla subspecies.

Adirondacks To Grow Greener Smart Growth grants will help the WCS Adirondack Program preserve wildlife habitat, promote sustainable development, and build leadership in local communities.

Massive Map for Madagascar WCS researchers create an unprecedented study of the island’s wildlife, plants, and climate, mapping the habitat for 2,315 species to pinpoint the best areas for conservation.

Support A Living Classroom Help us cure spring fever! Urge your members of Congress to support the No Child Left Inside Act during National Environmental Education week. Take action today.

The Birds Are Back A single team of park rangers, working round the clock, has helped populations of storks, pelicans, ibises, and other rare waterbirds recover in Cambodia’s famed wetland.

Bottleneck for a Big Nose In Mongolia, increased vehicular and pedestrian traffic is strangling the narrow migration corridor for the saiga—Asia’s odd-ball antelope with the enormous schnoz.

Adirondack Alarm Call High levels of environmental mercury are challenging the health and survival of the common loon, a symbol of northern lakes and wilderness. Listen to the loon call.

Unafraid of the Big, Bad Wolf As western states debate removing the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List, WCS researcher Dr. Kim Berger speaks out on behalf of an unsuspecting wolf ally: the pronghorn antelope.

2008 Is the Year of the Frog Honor frog-kind’s mighty leapers and masters of disguise! Help WCS spread the word about amphibians in peril.  Meet frogs from the WCS Zoos

Prime-Mates Get Closer A WCS scientist captures the first known photos of western gorillas mating face-to-face in the wild. “Leah,” the gorilla caught in the act, is the same adult female seen using tools in 2005.

Green Is as Green Does Conservation globally includes conservation at home. WCS expands efforts to combat climate change — measuring its carbon footprint in NY and taking steps to reduce emissions.

A Slow and Steady Decline Madagascar’s turtles and tortoises are vanishing due to habitat loss and illegal hunting. WCS will launch new efforts to protect these living treasures. Tortoise Territory, Madagascar

Art Show to Benefit WCS WCS will be the beneficiary of a forthcoming art exhibition and conservation fundraising event by the Artists for Conservation Foundation. The exhibit opens in September.

Clothing with a Conscience Africa’s “conservation cotton” makes its way onto the backs of Bono's U2 fans, thanks to a partnership between Hard Rock International, ethical T-shirt brand edun LIVE, and WCS.

Hotspot for Swallows WCS calls for protection of a recently discovered roost in Nigeria for millions of migratory swallows. The roost appears to be under threat of destruction from advancing farms.

School’s Open for Summer The Wildlife Conservation Society and Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education are teaming up to offer a joint master’s program, now accepting applications for summer 2008.

Snarewear: Blight into Beauty ©WCS/Julie Larsen Maher  Snarewear: Blight into Beauty In many parts of the world, procuring dinner can be a daily struggle. A nose for business is not just for the savvy—it’s a survival skill. Ask Dale Lewis, founder of the Zambian It’s Wild! brand of eco-friendly products, where he got his