III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 80 

Designating March 3, 2017, as ‘‘World Wildlife Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 2, 2017 

Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. INHOFE) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating March 3, 2017, as ‘‘World Wildlife Day’’. 

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

human history and wildlife conservation will secure these 

gifts for future generations; 

Whereas plant and animal species play 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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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 trafficking of wildlife, including timber and fish, 

comprises the fourth largest global illegal trade after narcotics, the counterfeiting of products and currency, and 

human trafficking and has become a major transnational 

organized crime with an estimated worth of as much as 

$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 increases in poaching of these species, particularly in Africa; 

Whereas trafficking of wildlife is a primary threat to many 

wildlife species, including elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, 

pangolins, and sharks; 

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 those 

poachers; 


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

Whereas penal and financial deterrents can improve the ability of African governments to reduce poaching and trafficking and enhance their capabilities of managing their 

resources; 

Whereas assisting institutions in developing nations, including material, training, legal, and diplomatic support, can 

reduce 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 African elephant population has declined by 27 

percent in the last decade, primarily as a result of poaching, and only approximately 415,000 such elephants remain in Africa; 

Whereas, from 2007 to 2012, the number of elephants killed 

in Kenya increased by more than 800 percent, from 47 

to 387 elephants killed; 

Whereas, as a result of poaching, forest elephant populations 

in Minke ́be ́ National Park in Gabon have declined by 78 

to 81 percent; 

Whereas the number of forest elephants in the Congo Basin 

in Central Africa declined by approximately 2⁄3 between 

2002 and 2012, placing forest elephants on track for extinction in the next decade; 

Whereas the number of rhinoceroses killed by poachers in 

South Africa— 


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(1) increased by more than 9,000 percent between 

2007 and 2014, from 13 to more than 1,200 rhinoceroses 

killed; and 

(2) was 1,175 in 2015; 

Whereas fewer than 4,000 tigers remain in the wild throughout all of Asia; 

Whereas pangolins are often referred to as the most trafficked mammal in the world; 

Whereas all 8 pangolin species spanning Africa and Asia are 

faced with extinction because pangolin scales are sought 

after in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine and 

pangolin meat is considered a delicacy; 

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 and implementing 

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 as World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the wild fauna and flora 

around the world; 

Whereas March 3, 2017, represents the fourth annual celebration of World Wildlife Day; 


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Whereas, in 2017, the theme of World Wildlife Day is ‘‘Listen to the Young Voices’’; and 

Whereas, in 2017, World Wildlife Day commemorations will 

encourage young people, as the future leaders and decision makers of the world, to act at both local and global 

levels to protect wildlife and to rally together to address 

the ongoing overexploitation and illicit trafficking of wildlife: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates March 3, 2017, as ‘‘World Wild3 life Day’’; 

4 (2) supports raising awareness of the benefits 

5 that wildlife provides to people and the threats fac6 ing wildlife around the world; 

7 (3) supports escalating the fight against wildlife 

8 crime, including wildlife trafficking; 

9 (4) applauds the domestic and international ef10 forts to escalate the fight against wildlife crime; 

11 (5) commends the efforts of the United States 

12 to mobilize the entire Government in a coordinated, 

13 efficient, and effective manner for dramatic progress 

14 in the fight against wildlife crime; and 

15 (6) encourages continued cooperation between 

16 the United States, international partners, local com17 munities, nonprofit organizations, private industry, 

18 and other partner organizations in an effort to conVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:27 Mar 02, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR80.ATS SR80

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1 serve and celebrate wildlife, preserving this precious 

2 resource for future generations. 

Æ 


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