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Julie Larsen Maher©WCS
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Cheetahs, snow leopards, wild dogs, and other rare wild cat and dog species are currently threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and diseases. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) voted in favor and helped the U.S. House of Representatives pass the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act. This Act will provide conservation assistance critical to the conservation and protection of these majestic animals by creating a Great Cats and Rare Canids (GCRC) Conservation Fund at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that would leverage private conservation dollars – by as much as three to one – from corporate and non-government sources. The Fund would address the critical need for conserving global priority species like large carnivores that serve as “indicator” or “umbrella” species for the health and well being of other animals and plants in their native habitats.
The Wildlife Conservation Society works around the world to protect and conserve great cats and rare canids and their habitats. The passage of this bill would bolster our work and provide new critical conservation assistance. The Bronx Zoo headquarters of the Wildlife Conservation Society houses a special exhibit on African Wild Dogs to educate the public about the threats and needs of one of the most critically endangered species in the wild. We thank Congresswoman McCarthy for her support! For more information on the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act, please visit: http://www.wcs.org/gcrcinfo
About the Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth. For more information, please visit: www.wcs.org
For more information on the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Federal Affairs Office, please contact:
Kelly Keenan Aylward
Wildlife Conservation Society
Washington Office
444 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 397
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 624-8195
kaylward@wcs.org
