March the 3rd is World Wildlife Day, a date chosen because it marks the signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The theme for this year is “Their Future is in Our Hands” and CMS is organizing a series of events to celebrate the day, to complement other activities, including an International Elephant Film Festival in New York, where CITES Secretary-General, John Scanlon will highlight the plight of African and Asian elephants.
CMS Executive Secretary, Bradnee Chambers has written an “op-ed” highlighting the link between the illegal killing of elephants and rhinos for their tusks and horn and the dramatic decline of vultures in Africa. Poachers are now also deliberately poisoning the birds because their circling above the carcasses of the slaughtered animals helps the authorities locate the criminals. Vultures in Africa are facing a crisis as great as the one that afflicted South Asia, when 99% of the birds there were lost as a result of poisoning from the veterinary drug, diclofenac. Tens of thousands of people died of rabies as a result of feral dogs filling the void left by the vultures.
Bradnee Chambers has also recorded a message outlining his support for Wild Wildlife Day. You can view his video message visiting the CMS website.
Source: Notification from CMS from 01.03.2016March the 3rd is World Wildlife Day, a date chosen because it marks the signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The theme for this year is “Their Future is in Our Hands” and CMS is organizing a series of events to celebrate the day, to complement other activities, including an International Elephant Film Festival in New York, where CITES Secretary-General, John Scanlon will highlight the plight of African and Asian elephants.
CMS Executive Secretary, Bradnee Chambers has written an “op-ed” highlighting the link between the illegal killing of elephants and rhinos for their tusks and horn and the dramatic decline of vultures in Africa. Poachers are now also deliberately poisoning the birds because their circling above the carcasses of the slaughtered animals helps the authorities locate the criminals. Vultures in Africa are facing a crisis as great as the one that afflicted South Asia, when 99% of the birds there were lost as a result of poisoning from the veterinary drug, diclofenac. Tens of thousands of people died of rabies as a result of feral dogs filling the void left by the vultures.
Bradnee Chambers has also recorded a message outlining his support for Wild Wildlife Day. You can view his video message visiting the CMS website.
Source: Notification from CMS from 01.03.2016