Wildlife Conservation Society releases definitive 'state of...( NEW YORK (APRIL 15 2008) A compre...)

NEW YORK (APRIL 15, 2008) A comprehensive book of essays, highlighting the most pressing conservation issues facing the globe, was released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The essays, penned by top thought leaders, focus on such issues as diseases shared by animals and people; and the challenge of saving wildlife in political hotspots, such as Afghanistan. State of the Wild: A Global Portrait of Wildlife, Wildlands, and Oceans, the book is a definitive, in-depth look at the current trends affecting wildlife across all continents.

The book features a wide range of writers, from David Quammen, author of 11 books on natural history; to top scientists including climate expert James Hansen of NASA; and Wildlife Conservation Society President and CEO Dr. Steven E. Sanderson.

The book the second of a series is a biennial production of WCS and Island Press. The special section for this volume is entitled: Emerging Diseases and Conservation: One World-One Health, which examines the rapidly developing issues of diseases shared by humans, wildlife, domestic animals and ecosystems. Several essays by leading experts analyze how habitat degradation, increased livestock production, wildlife trade, and other ecosystem disturbances have fostered conditions ripe for resurging and emerging pathogens such as avian influenza, SARS and West Nile virus.

Other essays address key issues in the conservation of species and wild places; people, culture, and conservation; and the art and practice of conservation. State of the Wilds leading-edge overviews serve as a valuable reference, and its accessible style is perfect for a broader audience. State of the Wild brings the deeper stories behind wildlife conservation into the public forum.

Conservationists often focus on losses, rather than successes, said Sanderson. We sometimes miss the opportunity to be part of a human-friendly solution for the Earths future.
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