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Defenders Magazine
Defenders in Action: Funds Proposed for Wild Cats and Canines
Charisma doesn’t always translate into cash. Although some flagship species around the world—tigers, elephants and rhinos, for example—have received funding from the United States for protections, others have been left behind. New legislation, supported by Defenders and other wildlife groups, would right that wrong and create a fund for several rare feline and canine species.
The bill, called the “Great Cats and Rare Canids Act,” was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Clay Shaw (R-Florida) and cosponsored by Reps. Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), John Tanner (D-Tennessee) and Ed Royce (R-California). It would provide money for 13 wild species, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, Iberian lynx, several types of wolves, African wild dogs and dholes—a rare species of wild dog native to Southern Asia.
The fund would provide money for proactive conservation programs such as one in Namibia that uses Anatolian shepherd guard dogs to keep cheetahs away from livestock. By guarding goats and sheep against predators, the Anatolian shepherds eliminate the need to trap or kill endangered cheetahs on private Namibian farmlands where they range.
Conservationists are heralding the bill as a way to help save imperiled carnivores. “The wild cat and dog species protected by this bill face a growing host of threats. Loss of habitat and habitat degradation, poaching and exploitation for skins and medicinal trades, disease, and pollution are all taking their toll,” says Nina Fascione, vice president for field conservation at Defenders. “Fortunately, many of these threats are controllable. This bill provides financial resources to aid international efforts to preserve and protect these animals and their habitats.”
