Asia, Bear Bile, Bears, Biodiversity, Borneo, Cambodia, China, Christopher J. Gervais, conservation, Deforestation, Documentary Films, Endangered Species, environment, habitat destruction, Illegal Wildlife Trade, India, Indonesia, Nature Documentary, Nature Films, New York City, Power of Film, Rainforest, Uncategorized, Vietnam, WCFF, wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Films

Malayan Sun Bear film to screen at 2018 WCFF

April 27, 2018 christopherjgervais Leave a comment

“Big Pygmies Little Giants” produced and directed by Dr. Audrey Low and Howard Jackson is an official selection to the 2018 WCFF this October in New York.

The Sun Bear is the smallest member of the bear family and is found in southeast Asia from southern China to eastern India and as far south as Indonesia, sun bears, also called Malayan sun bears, take their name from the bib-shaped golden or white patch on their chest, which legend says represents the rising sun. They have a stocky, muscular build, small ears, and a short muzzle, which has earned them the nickname “dog bear.” Their sleek, black coat is short to avoid overheating in the tropical weather but thick and coarse to provide protection from twigs, branches, and rain.

The WCFF mission is to inform, engage and inspire wildlife conservation through the power of film. Join us for our eight year anniversary October 18-28, 2018. Ten days with over 100 documentary films screened, many World and North America premieres. Panel discussions, receptions, field trips, networking, virtual reality/360 and more. All Access Film Festival passes are available now for purchase: wcff.org/nyc-festival-2018/

Contact: info@wcff.org to join the planning committee. Sponsor the film festival, advertise on the big screen during the outdoor summer series and the October festival. Take a page in the full color program book to be distributed in USA, China and other countries.

Christopher J. Gervais, FRGS
Twitter: @CJGERVAIS
Christopher@WCFF.org

Wildlife Conservation Film Festival
October 18-28, 2018 | New York, NY
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Asia, Biodiversity, Cambodia, Cetaceans, Christopher J. Gervais, conservation, Documentary Films, Dolphins, Endangered Species, environment, Extinction, India, Irrawaddy River Dolphins, Mammals, Marine Mammals, Nature Documentary, Nature Films, Ocean, Ocean Pollution, Plastic Pollution, Power of Film, Uncategorized, Vietnam, WCFF, WCFF Education Outreach, wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Films

Irrawaddy River Dolphins

April 25, 2018 christopherjgervais Leave a comment

Good News – After decades of irreversible decline, results from a Government of Cambodia census show the population of critically endangered Irrawaddy river dolphins in the Mekong has risen from 80 to 92 in the past two years, the first increase in more than twenty years.

Although sometimes called the Irrawaddy river dolphin, it is not a true river dolphin, but an oceanic dolphin that lives in brackish water near coasts, river mouths and in estuaries. It has established subpopulations in freshwater rivers, including the Ganges and the Mekong, as well as the Irrawaddy River from which it takes its name. Its range extends from the Bay of Bengal to New Guinea and the Philippines although they do not appear to venture off shore.

It is often seen in estuaries and bays in Borneo Island, with sightings from Sandakan in Sabah, Malaysia, to most parts of Brunei and Sarawak, Malaysia. A specimen was collected at Mahakam River in East Kalimantan.

No range-wide survey has been conducted for this vulnerable species; however, the worldwide population appears to be over 7,000, with over 90% occurring in Bangladesh. Populations outside Bangladesh and India are classified as critically endangered. Known subpopulations of Irrawaddy dolphins are found in eight places, listed here in order of population, including conservation status.

Christopher J. Gervais, FRGS
Twitter: @CJGERVAIS
Christopher@WCFF.org

animal abuse, Animal Cruelty, Animal Rights, Biodiversity, Captive Exotic Animals, Christopher J. Gervais, conservation, Elephants, Endangered Species, environment, Extinction, Facebook, Illegal Wildlife Trade, Ivory, Mark Zuckerberg, Nature Documentary, Nature Films, Poaching, Power of Film, Rhino, Rhino horn, tigers, Uncategorized, WCFF, wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, Wildlife Crime, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Films, Wildlife Smuggling

Facebook Allegedly Making Profit on Wildlife Trafficking of Endangered Species

April 19, 2018 christopherjgervais Leave a comment

An Associated Press article indicates that Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook are making a profit by selling ads on pages that are operated by illegal wildlife traffickers. The pages sell the body parts of endangered animals, according to a complaint filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Facebook has allegedly been making money off of the sellers of items like elephant ivory, rhino horns and tiger teeth. The article from the Associated Press includes a screen grab of a Facebookgroup page displaying buckets full of the teeth. See atop this page.

According to the complaint, Facebook is violating its responsibilities as a publicly-traded company by knowingly profiting from the criminal trafficking of endangered species. The anonymous whistleblower complaint was filed in August 2017 by the law firm of Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto.

Facebook released a statement saying it does not permit the sale of wildlife, endangered species or their parts, and that it removes groups that have been identified as engaging in illegal conduct. However according to the statement from Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto, a months-long investigation of various social media platforms by the law firm’s undercover team found “rampant wildlife activity in two places: Facebook and Instagram.”

Christopher J. Gervais, FRGS
Twitter: @CJGERVAIS
Christopher@WCFF.org

Africa, Animal Intelligence, Animal Rights, Biodiversity, Christopher J. Gervais, conservation, DBE, Documentary Films, Elephants, Endangered Species, environment, Film Festival, Ivory, Kenya, Nature Documentary, Nature Films, New York City, Poaching, Power of Film, Rhino, Rhino horn, Rhinos, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Uncategorized, WCFF, wildlife, Wildlife Activists, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Films

Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE

April 15, 2018 christopherjgervais Leave a comment

With great sadness we announce the passing of Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE. She was leader in wildlife conservation for over 60 years. An author, conservationist and expert in animal husbandry. Co-warden of Tsavo National Park and created the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, Kenya. A pioneer to save orphaned elephants, rhinos and many other species.

Christopher J. Gervais, FRGS
Twitter: @CJGERVAIS
Christopher@WCFF.org

Animal Intelligence, Biodiversity, Borneo, Christopher J. Gervais, Climate Change, conservation, Deforestation, Documentary Films, Endangered Species, environment, Extinction, Film Festival, habitat destruction, Illegal Wildlife Trade, Nature Documentary, Nature Films, Orangutans, Poaching, Rainforest, Uncategorized, WCFF, wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, Wildlife Crime, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Films

Person of the Forest – WCFF Official Selection

April 12, 2018 christopherjgervais Leave a comment

Person of the Forest produced and directed by Roxana Rogan and Emily O”Connell of Wild Education screens in New York this October.

The WCFF informs, engage and inspires wildlife conservation through the power of film. Join us for our eight year anniversary in New York, NY, October 18-28, 2018. Ten days of film screenings, panel discussions, receptions, field trips, networking, Virtual Reality and more.

Christopher J. Gervais, FRGS
Twitter: @CJGERVAIS
Christopher@WCFF.org

Africa, Biodiversity, Christopher J. Gervais, conservation, Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, Endangered Species, environment, Extinction, Gorillas, Hunting, Illegal Wildlife Trade, Mountain Gorillas, Nature Documentary, Nature Films, Poaching, Power of Film, Rainforest, Uncategorized, Virunga National Park, WCFF, wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, Wildlife Crime, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Films, Wildlife Rangers

Wildlife Rangers Murdered in Virunga National Park

April 10, 2018 christopherjgervais Leave a comment

TRAGIC NEWS. Yesterday, April 9, five wildlife rangers and a driver were ambushed and killed in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The suspected members of an armed militia are believed to belong to the Mai-Mai militia.

The five wildlife rangers assigned to protect Mountain Gorillas killed are: Jean de Dieu Byamungu, 25; Barthelemie Kakule Mulewa, 28; Théodore Kasereka Prince, 25; Liévin Mumbere Kasumba, 28, and Kananwa Sibomana, 22; and park staff driver Ila Muranda, 30.

The latest ambush was the deadliest yet in a long list of attacks that have claimed the lives of 175 park rangers to date.

Christopher J. Gervais, FRGS
Twitter: @CJGERVAIS
Christopher@WCFF.org

Biodiversity, Christopher J. Gervais, conservation, Documentary Films, Endangered Species, environment, Film Festival, Fish, habitat destruction, Humpback Whales, Marine Mammals, Marine Protected Area, Micro plastics, Nature Documentary, Nature Films, New York City, Ocean, Ocean Pollution, Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch, Plastic Bags, Plastic Debris, Plastic Pollution, Plastic Sea, Plastic Trash, Plastic Water Bottles, Power of Film, Sea Turtles, Seabirds, Sharks, Single-Use Plastic Straws, Uncategorized, Water, WCFF, WCFF Education Outreach, Whales, wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Films

Single-Use Plastic Straws

April 5, 2018 christopherjgervais Leave a comment

Single-use plastic straws typically cannot be recycled. Instead, they often end up in our oceans, a big part of our growing plastic pollution crisis. At present humans are unloading the equivalent of a dump truck full of plastic into the world’s oceans every minute. One pile of garbage in the Pacific Ocean has reached at least 87,000 tons and covers an area roughly four times the size of California.

Christopher J. Gervais, FRGS
Twitter: @CJGERVAIS
Christopher@WCFF.org

Amazon, Biodiversity, Christopher J. Gervais, conservation, Deforestation, Documentary Films, Endangered Species, environment, Film Festival, Guyana, habitat destruction, Habitat Restoration, Iwokrama Reserve, Nature Documentary, Nature Films, Power of Film, Rainforest, South America, Uncategorized, WCFF, WCFF Education Outreach, wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Films

Green Heart of Guyana

April 2, 2018 christopherjgervais Leave a comment

“The Green Heart of Guyana” produced and directed by Benjamin Driver will premiere at the 2018 WCFF in New York, NY. The WCFF mission is to inform, engage and inspire wildlife conservation through the power of film. Join us for our eight year anniversary is October 18-28, 2018. Ten days of film screenings, panel discussions, receptions, field trips, networking, virtual reality and more. All Access Film Festival passes are available now for purchase: wcff.org/nyc-festival-2018/

https://vimeo.com/256662126

Synopsis: The Green Heart of Guyana is a look into the conservation research that is carried out in the Iwokrama reserve of Guyana. Guyana holds one of the largest intact tropical rain-forests in the world, and here we see renown scientists working with indigenous people of the region to try and protect this wonder. Political pressure is making the fate of Guyanas vast expanse of wilderness unknown. A country the size of Britain that is almost entirely covered in either tropical rain-forest or savanna grassland is in danger of being slowly infested with development that could fragment and erode the forests there. Looking at the different taxa within the tropical habitat, we see how surveys are carried out and building to construct a better understand of how the forests and all its inhabitants are responding to a changing environment and ultimately how the country is trying to use its wealth of resources without trying to exhaust them. Guyana is one of the last strongholds of intact tropical rain forests in the world. This is a unique opportunity, where experience and knowledge can help preserve Guyana’s wildlife before it becomes yet another race to extinction.

Christopher J. Gervais, FRGS
Twitter: @CJGERVAIS
Christopher@WCFF.org

Christopher J. Gervais

Monthly Archives: April 2018

Malayan Sun Bear film to screen at 2018 WCFF

Irrawaddy River Dolphins

Facebook Allegedly Making Profit on Wildlife Trafficking of Endangered Species

Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE

Person of the Forest – WCFF Official Selection

Wildlife Rangers Murdered in Virunga National Park

Single-Use Plastic Straws

Green Heart of Guyana

From the Founder: Wildlife Conservation Film Festival