Subject: Press Release - Jaguar Group Arriving by Bicycle at State Capitol for Earth Day Rally
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jaguar Bike-a-Thon Arrives At State Capitol
When: Earth Day, April 22, 11:00 am
Where; Arizona State Capitol Building, Senate Lawn, Phoenix
Who: Biologists, Bicyclists, Jaguar Recovery Activists, Government Officials
Contact: Tony Povilitis 406-600-4803(cell)
Wildlife biologist Dr Anthony Povilitis and bicycling advocates for jaguar recovery in the Southwest will complete an eight day, 350-mile Jaguar Bike-a-Thon at the Arizona State Capitol Thursday. The cyclists will present their 6 point Citizens’ Statement of support for jaguar recovery to the US Fish and Wildlife Service at a rally at the conclusion of their ride, scheduled for 11:00 am. They will also present hundreds of signatures gathered form citizens along their route from Nogales to Phoenix in favor of strong efforts to recover the species. They will be joined by a State Representative for the final miles.
“This is a pivotal moment for the jaguar in the United States ” says Dr. Povilitis. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could take a strong approach and adopt a program to recover a population of jaguars in a significant portion of their former U.S. range, or just plan to protect a few jaguars that may occur just north of the border. We favor a strong approach that will work to restore the world's northernmost jaguar population and include safeguards to ensure species survival.”
In recent historical times, jaguars inhabited Arizona and New Mexico , as well as parts of southern California and Texas . After the tragic death of Macho B, the last known jaguar in the US , citizens have become concerned about the possible extinction of the great spotted cat in the US . Dr. Povilitis, whose efforts to list the cat in 1992 led to its 1997 designation as endangered, states “we’ve waited patiently for meaningful recovery efforts for nearly 20 years. If we don’t act decisively now, we will lose the habitat and connectivity between wild lands necessary to recover this fantastic wild cat.”
-30-
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment