The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and wild places. Founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society, the WCS has grown to become one of the world’s largest and most effective conservation organizations, with programs in more than 60 countries. The WCS is headquartered at the Bronx Zoo in New York City.
The mission of WCS is “to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature.” The organization strives to achieve this mission through its five core areas of work: field conservation, zoos and aquariums, science, education, and advocacy.
Field conservation is at the heart of WCS’s work. The organization works to protect endangered species and their habitats around the world through direct action, scientific research, and support for local communities. One of WCS’s most successful initiatives has been its efforts to protect tigers in Asia. Through its Tiger Conservation Program, WCS has helped increase tiger populations in Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia ,and Thailand by more than 50% since 2005.
WCS also works to conserve iconic animals such as elephants , gorillas ,pandas ,and whales . In addition to direct protection efforts ,the organization supports policies and regulations that help reduce human-wildlife conflict , curb illegal wildlife trade ,and promote sustainable use of natural resources .
In 2018 ,WCS launched its landmark Campaign for Nature which sets out an ambitious goal to half global biodiversity loss by 2030 . This goal aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15 on Life on Land which calls for taking urgent action to end habitat loss .
To learn more about our work or how you can get involved please visit our website www wcs org