Zoos and Field Conservationists Call for Worldwide Action to Stop Illegal Killing of Wildlife
John Lukas speaking at the 2013 ZACC Conference in Des Moines, Iowa earlier this month
More than 200 conservationists representing over 40 zoos as well as wildlife programs in 36 countries have called on governments around the world to immediately increase the resources needed to combat the alarming rise in the illegal wildlife trade. Meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, earlier this month, zoo officials, scientists, and wildlife experts with the 9th Zoos and Aquariums Committing to Conservation Conference (ZACC) agreed that urgent action is needed to combat the well-organized and heavily armed criminals who are draining the world’s ecosystems of wildlife and threatening human populations. The Okapi Conservation Project was represented by John Lukas, who gave a keynote presentation at the conference about the challenges to wildlife conservation in the DR Congo. To learn more about the conference, click here.
