U.S. Wildlife Agency Helps International Conservation Asian, Caribbean, African projects receive support to protect wildlife

Source: USINFO.STATE.GOV

Date: 12 October 2006

Author: Anon

Washington -- A census of elephant populations in Zimbabwe, equipment for scouts in a game management area in Zambia, and research on re-establishing a viable population of tigers in southwest China are just a few of the wildlife conservation projects around the world receiving support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Almost $750,000 in grants is being awarded to projects in Asian, Caribbean and African nations to aid in the conservation of creatures such as rhinos, elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees and sea turtles, according to an October 10 USFWS press release.

“These are species that are loved by people throughout the world and are integral parts of their ecosystems,” said USFWS Director Dale Hall. “The United States is firmly committed to doing its part to ensure these animals remain an important part of the planet’s biological landscape.”

Contributions from other partners in the projects will boost the total investment to more than $2.2 million.

The grants will provide assistance to species that face a variety of threats, from illegal trafficking to wildlife and human conflict, habitat loss and disease, according to the press release.

One USFWS-funded project will be conducted in two regions of Zimbabwe in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund’s Southern African regional program office. The project’s goal is conducting an aerial survey and census of the elephant populations to better understand herd numbers and distribution.

A project in Tanzania will determine the daily and seasonal movements of the elephant populations, tagging the animals with satellite collars to record their movements on a daily basis.

In the Nangunhe Nature Reserve of China’s Yunnan Province, researchers will begin work to obtain baseline data on the status of wild tigers to build a “last stronghold” for the creatures where a viable population might be re-established.

The full text of the list of grants is available on the USFWS Web site.

The support for international wildlife conservation from the USFWS complements another U.S. program to preserve threatened species, the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT). Additional information about that program is available on CAWT’s Web site.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)