Disney Awards Conservation Grants to International Fund for Animal Welfare

8/19/2003

From: Chris Cutter of IFAW, 508-744-2066 or ccutter@ifaw.org

YARMOUTH PORT, Mass., Aug. 19 -- The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund (DWCF) has awarded three grants totaling $22,200 to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW -- http://www.ifaw.org) this year.

The three grants will help fund a variety of IFAW projects around the globe including its work with endangered vaquitas (marine mammals) in Mexico, anti-poaching measures in Uganda, and rehabilitating endangered animals in Senegal.

"IFAW's dedication to conservation will positively impact threatened species, which is what the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund is all about," said Kim Sams, manager of the DWCF. "IFAW's progress in this area is remarkable, and we have been continually impressed with their dedication and expertise."

"Disney has been very supportive of IFAW's efforts to help endangered animals all around the world and these grants will be put to good use," said IFAW president Fred O'Regan. "We have worked closely with Disney before on emergency responses and value our relationship which has done so much good for animals and people."

The three projects supported by the grants include:

The Acoustic Approach to Vaquita Conservation

This project aims to study the habitat use of the most endangered marine cetacean, the vaquita, as part of a global plan for recovery of this species. The research is focused on understanding the distribution of the vaquita, both spatially and temporarily, in order to identify the most critical areas and seasons for the recovery plan.

The Kalinzu Snare Removal Project

This project will fund the salaries of three field assistants who will travel throughout the forest on a daily basis searching for snares and traps laid by poachers and reporting any illegal activity. They will remove these snares and traps and record their location with GPS coordinates. This data will assist researchers in long-term monitoring of the behaviour patterns of poachers and hunters. IFAW expects the result to be a dramatic increase in the number of snares successfully located and removed each month -- which, in turn, will reduce the risk of the wild chimpanzee population becoming ensnared in these devices.

Senegal Oryx Reintroduction Project

This ongoing project is creating a new national park and biosphere reserve in the Ferlo region of Senegal and reintroducing the Scimitar-horned oryx, Mhorr gazelle, and addax there. The project includes restoring critically endangered species, rehabilitating habitat and working to benefit the local community. It is likely that it will be expanded into neighboring countries this year.

The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund was established to aid organizations committed to protecting endangered and threatened animals and their habitats. Contributions to the DWCF come from guests at animal-themed Disney parks, resorts and other attractions and are matched by Disney.

Previously, the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund has awarded IFAW a conservation grant to identify and protect the foraging habitat for Northwest Atlantic harbor porpoises in the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy. The DWCF has also provided emergency funding to IFAW for the rescue and rehabilitation of oiled sea birds during both the MV Treasure and MV Prestige oil spills, to which Disneys Animal Kingdom also sent personnel to assist.