Wildlife Group Tells Congress Their Work Isn't Done Yet

So, far the lame duck Congress has been pretty good to animals, with yesterday's passage of the Shark Conservation Act to stop shark finning the third major animal protection bill passed this month. But before Congress packs it in for the holidays, the International Fund for Animal Welfare has one more piece of legislation on their wish list: The Great Cats and Rare Canids Act (H.R. 411/S. 529).

"Congress has made great strides in the past several days toward protecting sharks," IFAW said in a press release. "However, it's important that they recognize their work in conserving wildlife is far from done." With 25 percent of wild canids and 80 percent of all wild cat species experiencing population decline, the group calls it "reckless disregard" to fail to enact conservation measures.

Lions, perhaps the most well-known of the 15 species covered by the legislation, could be extinct within the decade if we don't step up conservation. Like other species, these iconic big cats are threatened by habitat loss, poaching and the wildlife trade. Lions are also being poisoned by the highly toxic pesticide carbofuran, a small amount of which can wipe out an entire pride. Several groups are working to get carbofuran banned in Kenya.

Although the great cats and rare canids aren't native to the U.S., it takes more than a village to save these species. As Defenders of Wildlife explains, "Unfortunately, many countries can't afford to take action to aid threatened wildlife and need help implementing effective conservation strategies." Without the resources, these countries simply can't make conservation a priority, no matter how urgent it is for the survival of the species.

That's where the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act comes in. The bill would provide funding to educate farmers on alternatives to devastating poisons like carbofuran, in addition to addressing on-the-ground human-wildlife conflicts and helping setup the infrastructure for conservation and to crack down on wildlife trafficking and poaching.

Defenders of Wildlife drafted the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act in 2004. Every year that slips by without sufficient conservation strategies brings these species closer to extinction. The animals on the list are all predators at the top of the food chain, and their loss would have serious consequences for their ecosystems.

The Great Cats and Rare Canids Act has come so close to being passed. It's already made it through the House and has been reported out of committee in the Senate with bipartisan support. It just needs one final push to make it over the finish line. Tell your senators to help save lions and other cats and canids by passing this bill before the end of the year.

Photo credit: Steve Garvie