CITES Listing Of Banteng and Wild Asian Buffalo

Several subscribers have called to express their concern about the possible CITES Appendix I listing of banteng and wild Asian buffalo - including water buffalo - that John J. Jackson III mentioned in the August 1998 World Conservation Force Bulletin (see page 4). Does this mean one should hold back on the booking of a hunt for these animals in Australia in 1999 or 2000? The decisive answer is no. As Jackson pointed out, at this point the Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group of IUCN merely "...hopes to convince a range nation to introduce a proposal" to uplist the animals. A lot of things would still have to happen before an immediate threat to the hunting for these animals in Australia emerges. We apologize if the item raised anxiety levels beyond what they needed to be raised. But make no mistake, long-term threats to hunting like this exist all over the world. They need to be spotted ahead of time and forces need to be mobilized to combat them - which is one of the reasons we are so pleased to be able to publish Conservation Force Bulletin. To learn how you can help, contact Jackson at Conservation Force.

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