Joe Lieberman: “today, along with my friend Senator Sam Brownback, I am introducing the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act, which will…”

“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.”