Nominees Named For Indianapolis Prize

Nearly 40 animal conservationists have been nominated for the Indianapolis Prize. The honor is considered the top award in the world for animal conservation. Six finalists will be named in the spring and a winner is scheduled to be announced in mid-2014. August 28, 2013

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS – Thirty-nine conservationists who have dedicated their lives to saving the Earth’s endangered species have been nominated to receive the biennial Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation. The winner of the Prize will receive an unrestricted $250,000

cash award and the Lilly Medal. Five other finalists will each receive $10,000.

The nominees’ work spans the globe and represents a broad range of species including chimpanzees, snow leopards, sea turtles, giant pandas, bats, swans and many more. An international Nominating Committee composed of renowned professional conservationists and local

representatives reviews all nominations and selects six finalists, who will be revealed in the spring of 2014. The Prize Jury will then determine the winner, who will be announced in mid-2014 and honored at the next Indianapolis Prize Gala presented by Cummins Inc., to be held Sept. 27, 2014,

in Indianapolis.

“The current nominees are exceptional and they represent many of the most significant wildlife conservationists working in the field today,” said Michael Crowther, president and CEO of the

Indianapolis Zoo, which initiated the Indianapolis Prize as part of its core mission. “Increasingly more species are at risk of extinction, and these heroes deserve our recognition and support for their

expertise, accomplishments, and tireless efforts protecting them. We encourage people around the world to celebrate the nominees’ important work and to join them in advancing animal conservation.”

In alphabetical order, the nominees for the 2014 Indianapolis Prize are:

Joel Berger, Ph.D.: (Wildlife Conservation Society) Distinguished scientist leading projects including pronghorn antelope migration corridor conservation, impacts of energy development on wildlife in

Greater Yellowstone, impacts of climate change on musk ox in the Alaskan Arctic, and saiga antelope conservation in Mongolia.

Christophe Boesch, Ph.D.: (Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology) Primatologist dedicated to decreasing pressure on wild chimpanzees, providing alternatives to bush meat and

applying new technology to great apes conservation.

Sheila Bolin: (The Regal Swan Foundation, Inc.) Advocate for humane treatment and veterinary care for swans worldwide through conservation, research, veterinary medicine, education and swanrelated product development.

Patrick Burchfield, Ph.D.: (Gladys Porter Zoo) Persistent defender of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles against impossible odds; restored turtle nests and hatchlings released into the Gulf of Mexico by more than 3,000 percent since 1985.

Fred Burton: (Blue Iguana Recovery Programme) Internationally-known director of an integrated conservation program for the endangered Grand Cayman blue iguana; successfully brought the species back from critically endangered status on the IUCN Red List in 2012.

Gerardo Ceballos, Ph.D.: (Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) Champion for jaguars in Mexico, conducting the first country-level jaguar census and the most comprehensive jaguar study to date. Finalist for the 2010 Indianapolis Prize.

Wendy Collinson: (The Endangered Wildlife Trust) Passionate researcher and campaigner for the Roadkill Research and Mitigation Project; responsible for driving initiatives, international road ecology workshops, and action plans

that address the recognized threat of roads to biodiversity in South Africa.

Andrew Conolly: (African Lion and Environmental Research Trust) Cattle and wildlife rancher turned lion conservationist; founder of the four-stage African Lion Rehabilitation and Release into the Wild Program to secure a

future for Africa’s most iconic species.

Lisa Dabek, Ph.D.: (Papua New Guinea Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, Woodland Park Zoo) Founder of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program; responsible for the first Conservation Area in Papua New

Guinea; used Crittercam© technology for the first time on arboreal mammals, allowing scientists to record animal behavior through mounted video cameras and transmitters.

Johannes Fritz, Ph.D.: (Waldrappteam) Tireless advocate of the critically endangered Waldrapp ibis and founder of the Waldrapp team project to re-establish the bird in its historic migration range from Bavaria to Italy.

Birut? Mary Galdikas, Ph.D.: (Orangutan Foundation International) More than 35 years of advancing research on wild orangutan ecology and behavior; established rehabilitation and release programs and saved millions of acres of

tropical rain forest in Borneo.

Jane Goodall, Ph.D.: (The Jane Goodall Institute) First anthropologist to observe tool-making in primates, now inspires action on behalf of endangered species, particularly chimpanzees, while encouraging people to do their part

to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment.

Helen Hays: (American Museum of Natural History) Acclaimed ornithologist working on Great Gull Island to restore its population of Roseate Terns to the largest concentration in the Western Hemisphere.

Denver Holt: (Owl Research Institute) One of the world’s leading owl biologists; founder of the Owl Research Institute and the Ninepipes Wildlife Research Center.

Rodney Jackson, Ph.D.: (Snow Leopard Conservancy) Conducted in-depth radio-tracking studies of snow leopards since the 1980s; dedicated to building local communities' capacity as key players in conserving the species. Finalist

for the 2008, 2010 and 2012 Indianapolis Prize.

Christopher Jenkins, Ph.D.: (The Orianne Society) Founder of the Orianne Society, dedicating numerous years to snakes, one of the most vilified and persecuted groups of animals in the world.

Carl Jones, Ph.D.: (Mauritian Wildlife Foundation) Biologist who pioneered the techniques of applied population management to reverse the decline of highly endangered species; instrumental in the creation of the first national

park in Mauritius; involved in the recovery of five bird species coming from populations of less than 10 specimens. Finalist for the 2012 Indianapolis Prize.

Stephen Kress, Ph.D.: (National Audubon Society) Widely respected ornithologist and expert in seabird conservation; known as “The Puffin Man” because of his extraordinary success leading Audubon's Project Puffin in

Maine.

Amanda Lollar: (Bat World Sanctuary) Established Bat World Sanctuary, the largest rehabilitation facility in the world dedicated exclusively to bats. Created the first nutritionally sound diet for debilitated bats.

Patricia Majluf, Ph.D.: (Universidad Peruna Cayetano Herdia) Almost singlehandedly led marine conservation efforts in Peru, through political unrest, countless governments and systemic corruption; improved industrial fishery

practices and initiated campaign for the use of anchoveta as a protein source for Peru’s malnourished people.

Laurie Marker, Ph.D.: (Cheetah Conservation Fund) Founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund, leading a conservation program from humble beginnings in rural Namibia to an unparalleled model for predator conservation. Finalist for

the 2008 and 2010 Indianapolis Prize.

Nick Marx: (Wildlife Alliance) Revolutionized the rescue, care and rehabilitation of wild animals in Southeast Asia, risking his life many times and disrupting illegal wildlife trafficking by more than 75 percent.

Stephen McCulloch: (Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution) Created legislation to fund several ongoing marine mammal research and conservation programs while working to construct the first teaching marine mammal

hospital, science and education center