Washington, D.C. -- Responding to a scientific petition
by conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today said
Endangered Species Act protections may be warranted for seven species of
pangolin, one of the most sought-after and poached wild animals in the world.
With more than 1,100,000 pangolins estimated to have been trafficked globally
from 2006 through 2015, Born Free USA, the Center for Biological Diversity,
Humane Society International (HSI), The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS),
and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) petitioned to protect the
species in July 2015.
Following today's preliminary positive
finding on the petition, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will now invite
information from scientists and the public about the pangolins' status and
threats to determine whether an Endangered listing would be appropriate.
"This is an important first step in
the fight to protect pangolins," said Jeff Flocken, North American
Regional Director for IFAW. "Pangolins have been silently killed and
trafficked for far too long. It's time to recognize the grave situation
threatening the survival of the species and offer them the protections they
rightfully deserve."
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!