One in three amphibians, one in eight birds, and one in four mammals are at risk of extinction in the wild. That鈥檚 according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which manages the Red List of Threatened Species鈩�.

To help give some of the species in most dire need a boost, IUCN has allocated $3.3 million to 23 species conservation projects via its SOS (Save Our Species) fund. WCS manages more than a quarter of the awarded projects, including those to help save the Cross River gorilla, the kipunji and Abbott鈥檚 duiker (a primate and a forest antelope, respectively), markhor (a wild goat), tiger, wild yak, and frogs in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The SOS conservation fund was initiated by IUCN, the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility. The fund aims to conserve a multitude of threatened creatures, and this latest round of support focuses on Asian and African mammals, amphibians, and birds.

鈥淚gnoring species conservation means ignoring a world in which species are currently disappearing at a rate 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal,鈥� says Jean-Christophe Vi茅, Deputy Director of IUCN鈥檚 Global Species Programme and SOS Director. 鈥淭he loss of wild plant and animal species is a real threat to human wellbeing, sustainable development and poverty reduction. In these times of economic turmoil, it would be wise not to further damage nature鈥攐ur ultimate safety net. By implementing on the ground conservation action, the projects SOS select help protect entire habitats which both people and wildlife depend on.鈥�

The current decade has been declared听the "Decade of Biodiversity"听by the United Nations. IUCN established SOS in October 2010, garnering more than $10 million in financing commitments in order to build a global coalition to protect threatened species and their habitats.

Learn more about the WCS projects receiving SOS funding:

  • 听 听听
  • 听 听听
  • 听 听听
  • 听 听听
  • 听 听 听
  • 听 听听