A TRIBUTE TO ROD EAST - ONE OF SSC'S GREATEST ANTELOPE CONSERVATIONISTS

Considered by many to have made the highest quality voluntary contribution to the work of the Species Survival Commission of anyone over the past 20 years, Rod East’s recent passing is a particularly poignant loss to the Commission and the wider conservation community. Presentation of the Sir Peter Scott Award for Conservation Merit in June this year to Rod is a very fitting recognition of his tireless efforts. Rod was fomer co-chair of the SSC Antelope Specialist Group. Full story

SSC CRANE EXPERT RECEIVES $100,000 INDIANAPOLIS PRIZE

Indianapolis Zoo has awarded Dr. George Archibald, Chair of the SSC Crane Specialist Group and co-founder of the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin, with its $100,000 Indianapolis Prize. The prize is one of the world's leading awards for animal conservation. Full story

THE BEHLER AWARD FOR FRESHWATER TURTLE CONSERVATION

Dr Edward O. Moll, a life-long turtle researcher and conservationist, is the first recipient of the Behler Award, a major new annual award jointly presented by the SSC Turtle Survival Alliance and SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, to honour leadership and excellence in the field of turtle and tortoise conservation. Full story: http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/news/2006_articles/behler_award.htm

RARE SNOW LEOPARD SWAPS HIMALAYAS FOR NEW YORK CITY

IUCN recently helped facilitate a milestone in cooperation, between the Pakistan and US governments and conservation organizations, to send an endangered snow leopard cub to New York for a leading species conservation programme. Found in the high mountain ranges of the Himalayas and central Asia, the snow leopard is in danger of becoming extinct. There are only an estimated 5,000-7,000 individuals left in the wild, with no more than 300 in the mountains of northern Pakistan. Leo, an orphaned snow leopard cub cannot be released back into the wild as he lacks the necessary survival skills. IUCN worked with Pakistani authorities and NGOs to ensure that Leo's plight could at least be used to help save future snow leopards and help protect global biodiversity. Leo has been moved to the Wildlife Conservation Society's internally renowned snow leopard captive breeding programme at the Bronx Zoo. Full story

There are still a few days left to contribute to the IUCN hosted e-discussion forum entitled “The Future of Sustainability: Have Your Say!” The forum, which runs until 15 September is open to the public as well as IUCN networks. For more information on the forum and on how to participate please visit: http://www.iucn.org/en/news/archive/2006/08/future_sustainability.htm

To be held on 17-21 September 2007 at Oxford University, United Kingdom, organized by the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit in partnership with the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group. The conference is open to professionals, graduate students and conservationists with an interest in the Felidae. Plenary and poster sessions will cover aspects of felid systematics, palaeontology, biogeography, genetics, ecology, behaviour, physiology, management and conservation biology. Additionally there will be a series of workshops on felid conservation. For further information contact Andrew Loveridge: felid.conference@zoo.ox.ac.uk or check www.wildcru.org/conference

REMINDER: SSC MEMBERS PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE

In the past, IUCN’s Secretariat has had difficulty reaching many of SSC’s members because of changes in contact details. Now a system is being developed to allow all Commission members to register and update their details direct. We are progressively inviting SSC members to register according to lists provided by Specialist Group and Task Force Chairs. With more than 7,000 members this is a huge task and progress is understandably slow. When you receive an invitation, please take a few minutes to register and update your details; this is mandatory in order to be registered as an SSC member.

SOCIETY FOR BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION REDUCED SUBSCRIPTIONS

The Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) is the leading professional organization in the scientific side of conservation. Recognizing its need to reach more comprehensively into the developing countries, SCB has greatly reduced the price of membership for colleagues in such countries. All of its journals are free online to SCB members in developing countries. For more information, visit http://www.conbio.org/media/benefits.

WILD PIG AND HIPPO CONSERVATION

The SSC Pigs, Peccaries and Hippos Specialist Group is keen for its bi-annual newsletter, Suiform Soundings (http://iucn.org/themes/ssc/sgs/pphsg/Suiform%20soundings/Newsletter.htm) to reach a wider audience and to increase the exchange of information with people and groups concerned with species facing similar threats in the same parts of the world. This will help compile follow-up to the species Action Plans. Please contact: Erik Meijard, email: emeijaard@tnc.org

SPECIES 45 AVAILABLE ONLINE

Issue 45 of Species, SSC’s bi-annual newsletter is now available on the SSC website. Carrying the second half of the series of profiles of Specialist Group Chairs, the publication highlights the great diversity of conservation activity being carried out by the commission. Download a copy at http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/news/species/species.htm or email species@iucn.org to request a hard copy.