[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 55 (Thursday, March 29, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S4169]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself and Mr. Brownback):
  S. 1033. A bill to assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare 
canids by supporting and providing financial resources for the 
conservation programs of nations within the range of rare felid and 
rare canid populations and projects of persons with demonstrated 
expertise in the conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations; 
to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, today, along with my friend Senator Sam 
Brownback, I am introducing the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act, which 
will protect and foster populations of imperiled great cats and rare 
canines outside of North America.
  These species, including the cheetah and the Asiatic wild dog, are 
threatened by habitat loss, poaching, disease, and pollution. The 
conservation fund established by the bill we are introducing today 
would sustain current conservation efforts and expand strategic 
measures to restore imperiled populations.
  The struggle of the African wild dog is one example of the plight 
these large carnivores face. The less than 2,500 adults that remain not 
only have to combat the widespread misconception that they are 
livestock killers, but are extremely susceptible to those diseases 
common in domesticated animals. They have lost 89 percent of their 
habitat and are now found in only 14 of the 39 countries that comprise 
their historic range.
  The snow leopard is another example. Like all great cats, the snow 
leopard needs a large tract of uninterrupted land in which to live, but 
the snow leopard's habitat in China has been fragmented due to human 
encroachment. The cats are also under extreme poaching pressures as 
their fur is sold on the black market.
  The bill we are introducing today would help protect these predators 
at the top of the food chain. Our legislation is modeled after the 
highly successful Multinational Species Conservation Funds, which 
conserve rhinos, great apes, Asian elephants, African elephants, and 
marine turtles. Our bill would authorize $5 million in annual spending 
for the conservation of more than a dozen species of great cats and 
rare canines.
  I do not think our children and grandchildren will forgive us if we 
stand by and let these magnificent animals drift into extinction. With 
a relatively small investment, we can invigorate ongoing conservation 
efforts around the world.
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