06.10.15

Grijalva Introduces Bill to Protect At-Risk Cat and Canid Species Widely Regarded as Indicators of Broader Ecosystem Stability

Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today introduced the Rare Cats and Canids Act of 2015 (H.R. 2697), which provides conservation resources to the Department of the Interior for cat and canine species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as threatened, vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The bill establishes a conservation fund to assist local wildlife management authorities and organizations that demonstrate sustainable management practices.

To ensure the effective use of this fund, the bill lays out criteria for approving only those proposals with the highest conservation benefit to rare cats and canids for which matching funds exist. Species covered by the bill include lions, snow leopards, cheetahs, red wolves and Ethiopian wolves.

“Humans have been killing these species, destroying their habitats and driving them away for far too long, and the damage done to the world around us speaks for itself,” Grijalva said. “The best science we have, combined with a healthy respect for nature, demands that we pass this bill. At the end of the day, if we don’t protect these species, they’ll disappear and take large food chains with them. We’ll have nowhere to look but the mirror to understand the cause.”

“Reversing the global decline of felid and canid species demands a profound international investment and I commend Representative Grijalva for taking action,” said Born Free USA CEO Adam Roberts. “Felid and canid species around the world are simply unable to cope with the endless barrage of threats before them, including hunting, disease, and habitat destruction. Reversing the population declines that most of these species face requires the conservation leadership long shown by the U.S. government. ”

More than two thirds of the world’s cat species and one third of canids (dog species) are recognized as in need of protection under federal or international law. Many of these vulnerable animals are ‘umbrella species,’ making their health an indicator and for the health of their ecosystem as a whole. Congress, by supporting the recovery of these species, can improve the well-being of entire ecosystems.

Wildlife around the world is threatened by habitat loss and degradation, invasive species, illegal hunting, disease, and pollution. Wild cats and canines face additional threats, including wildlife-human conflict and exploitation for skins and the medicinal trade.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service is a world leader in the conservation of endangered species through the management of the Multinational Species Conservation Funds. Programs like the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund and the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund have seen resounding success, strengthening wildlife populations while empowering local communities. Saving vulnerable cat and canid species from extinction requires a similar global commitment, and this bill would establish the United States as a leader in this cause.

The Rare Cats and Canids Act of 2015 is cosponsored by Reps. Susan A. Davis (D-Calif.), Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.), and Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). Rep. Grijalva introduced a similar bill in the last Congress and has been supportive of rare cat and canid protection since first coming to Congress in 2003.