$3.3m aid for threatened species

Gorillas, cockatoos and frogs are among a list of threatened species to benefit from a $3.3 million (2.4 million euro) aid award, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said Thursday. The conservation fund Save Our Species (SOS), set up by the IUCN, the World Bank and others, has announced it is to allocate the cash to more than 20 projects. SOS is involved in the protection of the Cross River Gorilla and Black Rhino in Africa and the Snow Leopard in Pakistan. Asia's Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Madagascar's Golden Mantella Frog are also on its list. The body is meanwhile working to re-introduce the Philippine Cockatoo to its native land. "By implementing on the ground conservation action, the projects (that) SOS select help protect entire habitats which both people and wildlife depend on," said SOS director Jean-Christophe Vie. The body was established in 2010 by IUCN, the World Bank and the GEF (Global Environment Facility) with more than $10 million funding to help protect threatened species.