The Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the Queens Zoo, has led the global campaign to save African elephants from slaughter and played a major role in New York state’s pending moratorium on ivory sales.
The society honored former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea for their efforts to end the illegal ivory trade and save African elephants at a recent gala at the Central Park Zoo.
The Clintons were saluted by the society June 12, a day after the state Assembly passed a bill in Albany to ban the sale of most ivory in New York state. The state Senate approved the bill on the final day of its session last Friday, making New York the first state to enact legislation to protect endangered elephants and rhinos from slaughter.
Cristian Samper, president of the society, told the 600 guests gathered under a tent as sea lions roared outside that he contacted Hillary Clinton after witnessing the massacre of African elephants in the wild by brazen poachers.
“If you think you know what laser-focus is, it would not be the truth until you’ve spent time with Hillary Rodham Clinton,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio, who ran her 2000 campaign for U.S. Senate. “When she sees a problem, she gives it her all.”
Clinton immediately mobilized foreign governments, NGOs and private citizens to join the battle against illegal ivory trafficking. She and Chelsea established The Partnership to Save African Elephants as part of the Clinton Global Initiative.
“At this rate, African elephants will be extinct within 10 years,” Hillary Clinton told the Wildlife Conservation Society members, pointing out that 96 elephants on average are killed every day.
She said poachers armed with automatic weapons, helicopters and satellites have become sophisticated and threaten to undermine society in many parts of Africa. Some terrorists are using ivory sales as blood money.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has pledged to sign the bill, which outlaws the sale of any object that contains ivory less than 100 years old or consists of more than 20 percent ivory. Federal regulations are less restrictive on the ivory content.
We applaud the state Legislature for passing this bill despite opposition from some antique dealers in the city. The wildlife society, which also operates the Central Park, Bronx and Prospect Park zoos and the New York Aquarium, has fought the good fight to end the illegal ivory trade on its home turf, where a significant amount of ivory changes hands in city emporiums.
