News from the Wild Archive 2007

The Giraffe Line Grows A giraffe is a giraffe is a giraffe…right? Not anymore. The world’s tallest animals comprise a group of species rather than just one, according to a new WCS-supported study.

The Other W.C. in WCS The Bronx Zoo Eco-Restroom has been recognized as “Environmental Project of the Year.” The innovative facility includes composting toilets, sky-lighting, and a gray water garden.

A New Use for Traffic Cones Marine biologist and inventor Diego González Zevallos, with funding from WCS, has created a simple warning system for birds at sea that draws inspiration from the rules of the road.

Holiday Present for Patagonia WCS has received a $1 million dollar grant from the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas. The gift will safeguard penguins and other marine wildlife in southern Argentina.

Heroes of Animal Conservation Famed wildlife biologists K. Ullas Karanth and George Schaller of WCS have been selected as finalists for the 2008 Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation.

Gorilla Warfare The world’s most endangered gorilla is fighting for survival—literally. WCS is rallying to the beleaguered Cross River gorilla’s cause with plans to create additional protected areas in Cameroon.

Reefs Find Shelter from the Heat A WCS study finds that the prospects of coral reefs in the age of climate change have improved. Reefs living in sites with variable temperatures are better able to survive warm water.

New Hope for NYC Nest Eggs In the middle of New York Harbor, a sanctuary for cormorants, egrets, and herons will remain bird turf, thanks to the efforts of Congressman José Serrano, WCS, and other groups.

A Fat Bird Is a Happy Bird WCS ornithologists are discovering that New York City is bug heaven for hungry songbirds passing through on their way to northern breeding and southern wintering grounds.

WCS’s Mike Fay on 60 Minutes In the forests of Chad, scientist Mike Fay found that elephants who went in search of forage outside Zakouma National Park paid with their lives. CBS 60 Minutes: The Ivory War  Help put an end to this tragedy.

Teshekpuk: A Wildlife Spectacle Shorebirds and waterfowl migrate from all over the world to nest in the Teshekpuk Lake region of arctic Alaska. Looming oil development is threatening this unique wildlife nursery.  A birder’s lens on Teshekpuk  Journey to the Arctic with WCS

A “Time”- Honored Hero Renowned WCS conservationist Dr. George Schaller has been named a “Hero of the Planet” by TIME Magazine, in recognition of half a century’s work to save wildlife around the globe.

New Turf for Snow Leopards The Central Park Zoo has broken ground for the Allison Maher Snow Leopard Exhibit, named in recognition of a $7 million leadership gift to WCS by Allison and Leonard Stern.

Scientists in Far East See Spots In a remote corner of the Russian Far East, WCS scientists have once again crossed paths with an Amur leopard, the rarest big cat on the planet.

Right of Passage for Moose To avoid bears and protect their young, moose moms in Yellowstone move closer to roads to give birth. A new study by WCS’s Joel Berger shows how wildlife will use “human shields.”

Fostering Flamingos “Mama Bird” of the Bronx Zoo’s brooder room for growing chicks, keeper Susan Leiter has a featherweight touch and a knack for birdcall. Watch Susan tend the flock.

School Bells Ring at the Zoo The Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation has opened, welcoming a pioneering class of New York City students who will study poetry, math, and more at the Bronx Zoo.

No Housing Slump for Penguins The housing market for Magellanic penguins, giant petrels, fur seals, and other wildlife of Patagonia is booming, following the Argentine government’s declaration of a new marine park.

See Brooklyn’s Biggest Baby The New York Aquarium’s little giant was born on June 12 to Pacific walruses Kulusiq and Ayveq. This rare event marks the first birth of a walrus in the history of New York City.

Can We See Some ID? “Photo ID” cards for male elephants in Indian reserves help Wildlife Conservation Society scientists track their movements and survival rates.

Discovery on Uncharted Lands The remote forests of Democratic Republic of Congo not only protect rare and endangered wildlife species, they are also generating new ones. The forests where species arise

Gorillas Under Fire In Virunga National Park, one of the last strongholds for the mountain gorilla, a rash of senseless violence is ravaging this highly endangered population. Help WCS protect gorillas.

Massive Migration Revealed Despite a decades-long conflict, wildlife populations are thriving in Southern Sudan on an order that rivals the migrations of the Serengeti. Help WCS protect this wildlife haven.

Brooke Russell Astor, 1902–2007 WCS is saddened by the death of our celebrated friend, generous benefactor, and Life Trustee, Brooke Astor. Brooke’s dedication guided the Society in many of our crowning achievements.

Snarewear, A New Eco-Trend It’s more than a fashion statement. The latest trend in African jewelry design takes its raw material from snares once used for wildlife. Its salesmen are the poachers who laid the traps.

Big Apple Beautification The Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium will benefit in 2009 under an increased budget for New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund.

Advocates for the Adirondacks In recognition of its efforts to balance wildlife needs with human needs, the WCS Adirondack Program received the 2007 Conservationist of the Year award from the Adirondack Council.

Give Fish a Chance In the longest running study of its kind, WCS scientists found that to maintain a healthy coral reef, heavily exploited fish need a long break from nets and lines.

WCS Invests in Mayan Heritage WCS has committed $3 million to Guatemala’s Eastern Maya Biosphere Reserve—home to jaguars, macaws, and other endangered species, as well Mayan archaeological relics.

Nurturing Nature’s Balance Moose, elk, and other prey species must learn to fear predators, a WCS study reveals. And when wolves vanish from places like Yellowstone, the loss of fear has deep ecological impacts.

Cheetahs Caught Cheating She’s faster than you think! A recent study revealed that many cheetah litters have more than one father, as a result of philandering female felines.

Map the Thaw, Save the Bears As global temperatures rise and sea ice recedes, WCS landscape ecologists take an innovative approach to save polar bears where there is still hope—and habitat.

“Mega” Scientist Wins Big Dr. Michael Fay’s unique brand of technology-driven field science has earned him the 2007 Lindbergh Award for his contributions to saving African rainforests and wildlife.

Astor Court Blooms Again The core of the Bronx Zoo reopens to the public, as the sea lions return and the mall’s original Victorian designs take on a fresh look. Slideshow: Astor Court, Then & Now

CSI: Upstate New York Conservation sleuths in New York’s Adirondack region have teamed up with the criminal justice department to develop a new fingerprint technique for tracking the elusive fisher.

The People’s Conservationists Four conservationists working on WCS-supported projects in South America’s last wild places have earned Whitley awards for their efforts to find win-win solutions for people and wildlife.

Away on Monkey Business With a small group of WCS colleagues, Prospect Park Zoo keeper Crystal DiMiceli traded conference calls for howler calls during an expedition to the Cockscomb Basin of Belize.

Good News for Gorillas A recent census conducted by WCS and other groups found that Uganda’s endangered mountain gorillas have increased in number, thanks in part to a thriving ecotourism program.

When Nature Calls… Waste not! Visitors to the Bronx Zoo’s new eco-friendly restrooms will support water conservation, help flowers grow, and provide healthy meals for hungry worms and bacteria.

Herring In Our Midst Fish are jumping, a beaver is building. In the Bronx River, wildlife populations absent for centuries are reclaiming their native home, and flourishing. Watch the latest homecoming!

Science at the Crossroads Next year, the Bronx Zoo and Fordham's Graduate School of Education will combine their science education resources to launch an innovative joint degree-granting program.

Pamper Your Planet! Whether you want to nurture the birds and bugs that share your backyard or help heal rain forests and oceans across the globe, you can make a big impact with everyday decisions.

Not Your Average Easter Bunny Hippity, hoppity…click! One of the world’s rarest rabbits hopped in front of a camera trap planted by WCS researchers in an Indonesian forest. No colored eggs were captured on film.

Rare Cheetahs Get Big-Cat Bling In a breakthrough expedition in the desert of Iran, a WCS-led team of scientists successfully fitted a pair of highly endangered Asiatic cheetahs with GPS collars.

In Africa, Elephants as Roadkill The once-remote heart of wild Africa has become a fragmented wilderness, crisscrossed with roads and increasingly accessible to poachers. Forest elephants are the latest casualties.

Beaver Takes a Bite of the Bronx After an absence from NYC since colonial times, the beaver has returned, taking up residence at the Bronx Zoo, along the banks of the Bronx River. Bronx beaver caught on camera!

Lost Cuckoo Breaks Its Silence Biologists with WCS’s Indonesia Program have obtained the world’s first recording of the extremely rare and secretive Sumatran ground cuckoo.  Hear the call of the lost cuckoo.

A Bear to Remember Rescued from Montana due to conflicts caused by human encroachment in his habitat, our beloved bear "Jughead" thrived at the Bronx Zoo, in the company of his tight-knit grizzly gang.

Our Emerging Explorers Shine Musical explorer and filmmaker. Tropical botanist. Marine ecologist. These three WCS conservationists are among the newest class of National Geographic Emerging Explorers.

School Bells Ring at the Zoo The pioneering class of Bronx students studying poetry, math, and more at the Zoo will be a lucky bunch, even if their teachers do have eyes at the backs of their heads.

A Fashion Victim Recovers WCS biologist George Schaller’s recent expedition to the remote Chang Tang indicated some good news: uncontrolled poaching of the Tibetan chiru for its shahtoosh wool may finally be slowing.

Are You My Mother? “Mrs. Fox” Bonds with Her Kits Raising fox kits is a lot like raising babies—they need plenty of attention, naps, and playtime. But how do you teach them to fend for themselves? A Bronx Zoo staff member learns how. Meet surrogate fox mom Kathleen LaMattina.

A Fishy Namesake NY Aquarium biologist Paul Loiselle, who has dedicated his career to safeguarding Madagascar’s little-known freshwater fishes, is the namesake for a new type of cichlid discovered there.

Toads with a Task: Go Forth, and Multiply The hundreds of Puerto Rican crested tadpoles that hatched at the Central Park Zoo were destined for great things, and sun-splashed places. Their mission? Reclaim their island homeland, and propagate. Watch a video about the tadpole reintroduction effort.

A Prairie Dilemma: Restoring a West Where the Buffalo Roam In the course of a century, the WCS bison conservation mission has grown from restoring the herds to the Western Plains, to revitalizing the Plains themselves. Get the full story in this feature from Connect Magazine.

Tigers Hang Tough Tigers breed like rabbits…if they have enough to eat and don’t get whacked by poachers. A new study says that the big cats can maintain stable numbers when given the chance.

Rabinowitz Honored for Fight to Save Big Cats WCS explorer and conservationist Dr. Alan Rabinowitz has received the first annual Kaplan Prize for Excellence in Wild Cat Conservation, the largest award in the field.