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| Dear Friend of Wildlife, Today's the last day of our fiscal year, which means I have a lot of reporting to do. It doesn't sound like the most exciting task, but just look at what it revealed! I can't begin to express how grateful I am for our donors and supporters when I read over this list of accomplishments.
This year was a game changer for African elephants. In September, we stood on stage with Hillary and Chelsea Clinton along with the leaders of seven African nations at the Clinton Global Initiative with a clear mission: Stop the killing, stop the trafficking, and stop the demand. Those seven countries pledged to enact a moratorium on ivory trade within their borders, and called on other countries to do the same. That same day, we launched our 96 Elephants campaign, aimed at raising support for elephant conservation, and for enacting those moratoria. Then, in February, the Obama Administration announced its intention to strictly control ivory trade in the US. Plus, nine countries have destroyed stockpiles of confiscated ivory, making sure it never re-enters the black market, sending a strong signal to poachers and traffickers that those countries take elephant protection seriously.
We discovered a new species! Our researchers identified a previously unknown species of humpback dolphin living off the coast of Australia.
Busted! Our Wildlife Crimes Unit helped police in Aceh, Indonesia smash a major wildlife trafficking ring. The traffickers arrested ran numerous poaching gangs that were clearing out forests of tigers, orangutans, elephants, and other large animals across northern Sumatra, and were caught red-handed with illegal body parts of tigers, leopards, and other cats.
We raised hell! Specifically, Eastern hellbenders, one of the world's largest species of salamanders. We partnered with The Buffalo Zoo and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to raise hellbenders at the Bronx Zoo before releasing them into the wild. Now threatened populations in New York State have a fighting chance for survival!
More big wins for elephants Earlier this month, PBS's Antiques Roadshow bowed to pressure and agreed to stop appraising ivory carvings on air. 35,000 supporters turned up the heat on the show through email and social media, asking them to do the right thing for elephants. Then, just a few weeks later, the hard work of our activists and supporters paid off once more when the New York State legislature became one of the first states in the country to pass a ban on ivory sales.
Top honors to a trailblazer! Congratulations are in order for WCS Program Director, Dr. Christopher Golden. He was named a 2014 National Geographic Emerging Explorer for his work on ecology and public health in Madagascar. This prestigious award recognizes adventurers, scientists, and innovators who are at the forefront of discovery, exploration, and global problem-solving. Dr. Golden joins other Emerging Explorers on our staff, Emma Stokes and Krithi Karanth!
We're helping protect 70% of Afghanistan's snow leopards. The Afghanistan government announced the creation of the country's second national park – and it's 25% bigger than Yellowstone National Park! Truly one of the last wild places on the planet, Wakhan National Park is home to an amazing 70% of the snow leopard population in the country, as well as vulnerable species such as Marco Polo sheep, lynx, and urial. We'll continue to providing support to help ensure that this new park is a success. This is what we can accomplish when we work together. I'm already proud when I start to imagine what we'll accomplish in the next fiscal year and I'm hoping you'll get on board early with a generous gift. Together we're unstoppable.
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