III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 374 

Designating March 3, 2014, as ‘‘World Wildlife Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 5, 2014 

Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. 

INHOFE, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. MARKEY, and Mr. 

CARDIN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating March 3, 2014, as ‘‘World Wildlife Day’’. 

Whereas wildlife has provided numerous economic, environmental, social, and cultural benefits during the course of 

human history, and wildlife preservation will secure these 

gifts for future generations; 

Whereas each plant and animal species plays an important 

role in the stability of diverse ecosystems around the 

world, and the conservation of this biodiversity is critical 

to maintain the delicate balance of nature and keep complex ecosystems thriving; 

Whereas observation of wild plants and animals in their natural habitat provides individuals with a more enriching 

world view and a greater appreciation of the wonders of 

the natural environment; 


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•SRES 374 ATS 

Whereas tens of millions of individuals in the United States 

strongly support the conservation of wildlife, both domestically and abroad, and wish to ensure the survival of 

species in the wild, such as rhinoceroses, tigers, elephants, pangolins, turtles, seahorses, sharks, ginseng, 

mahogany, and cacti; 

Whereas the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (referred to in 

this preamble as ‘‘CITES’’ and also known as the 

‘‘Washington Convention’’) was signed in Washington, 

DC, on March 3, 1973; 

Whereas 179 countries, including the United States, are now 

parties to CITES; 

Whereas CITES remains one of the most powerful tools in 

the world for biodiversity conservation by regulating 

international trade in wild plants and animals, including 

products and derivatives of wild plants and animals, ensuring the survival of plants and animals in the wild, and 

providing long-term benefits for the livelihood of local 

people and the global environment; 

Whereas CITES seeks to ensure that international trade in 

listed species is sustainable, legal, and traceable; 

Whereas the trafficking of wildlife, including timber and fish, 

comprises the fourth largest global illegal trade, after 

narcotics, counterfeiting of products and currency, and 

human trafficking, and has become a major transnational 

organized crime with an estimated worth of approximately $19,000,000,000 annually; 

Whereas increased demand in Asia for high-value illegal wildlife products, particularly elephant ivory and rhinoceros 

horns, has recently triggered substantial and rapid inVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:27 Mar 06, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR374.ATS SR374

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creases in poaching of these species, particularly in Africa; 

Whereas trafficking of wildlife is the primary threat to many 

wildlife species, including elephants, rhinoceroses, and tigers; 

Whereas many different kinds of criminals, including some 

terrorist entities and rogue security personnel, often in 

collusion with corrupt government officials, are involved 

in wildlife poaching and the movement of ivory and rhinoceros horns across Africa; 

Whereas wildlife poaching presents significant security and 

stability challenges for military and police forces in African nations that are often threatened by heavily armed 

poachers and the criminal and extremist allies of such 

poachers; 

Whereas wildlife poaching negatively impacts local communities that rely on natural resources for economic development, including tourism; 

Whereas the lack of sufficient penal and financial deterrents 

hamper the ability of African governments to reduce 

poaching and trafficking; 

Whereas capacity building, including material, training, legal, 

and diplomatic support, can significantly impact the trajectory of the illegal wildlife trade; 

Whereas wildlife provides a multitude of benefits to all nations, and wildlife crime has wide-ranging economic, environmental, and social impacts; 

Whereas the number of elephants killed by poachers in Kenya 

increased by more than 800 percent from 2007 to 2012, 

from 47 to 387 elephants killed; 


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Whereas the number of rhinoceroses killed by poachers in 

South Africa increased by more than 7000 percent between 2007 and 2013, from 13 to 1004 rhinoceroses 

killed; 

Whereas the number of forest elephants in the Congo Basin 

in central Africa declined by approximately two-thirds between 2002 and 2012, placing forest elephants on track 

for extinction within the next decade; 

Whereas as few as 3200 tigers remain in the wild throughout 

all of Asia; 

Whereas approximately 100,000,000 sharks are killed annually, often targeted solely for their fins, and 

unsustainable trade is the primary cause of serious population decline in several shark species, including scalloped 

hammerhead sharks, great hammerhead sharks, and oceanic whitetip sharks; 

Whereas the United States is developing strong measures to 

address the criminal, financial, security, and environmental aspects of wildlife trafficking; 

Whereas Congress has allocated specific resources to combat 

wildlife trafficking and address the threats posed by 

poaching and the illegal wildlife trade; 

Whereas in December 2013, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 3, the day on which CITES 

was signed, as World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise 

awareness of the wild fauna and flora around the world; 

Whereas March 3, 2014, represents the first annual celebration of World Wildlife Day; and 

Whereas in 2014, World Wildlife Day commemorations will 

‘‘celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild 

fauna and flora, raise awareness of the multitude of benVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:27 Mar 06, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR374.ATS SR374

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efits that wildlife provides to people, and raise awareness 

of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife 

crime, which has wide-ranging economic, environmental, 

and social impacts’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates March 3, 2014, as ‘‘World Wild3 life Day’’; 

4 (2) supports the goals and ideals of World 

5 Wildlife Day, including— 

6 (A) raising awareness of the benefits that 

7 wildlife provides to people and the threats fac8 ing wildlife around the world; and 

9 (B) escalating the fight against wildlife 

10 crime, including wildlife trafficking; 

11 (3) applauds the domestic and international ef12 forts to escalate the fight against wildlife crime; 

13 (4) commends the efforts of the United States 

14 to mobilize the entire Government in a coordinated, 

15 efficient, and effective manner for dramatic progress 

16 in the fight against wildlife crime; and 

17 (5) encourages continued cooperation between 

18 the United States, international partners, local com19 munities, nonprofit organizations, private industry, 

20 and other partner organizations in an effort to conVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:27 Mar 06, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR374.ATS SR374

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•SRES 374 ATS 

1 serve and celebrate wildlife, preserving this precious 

2 resource for future generations. 

Æ 


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