Indianapolis Zoo
1200 West Washington Street, P.O. Box 22309, Indianapolis, Indiana 46222-0309 317.630.2711 ph 317.630.5153 fx
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Charles Mayhew Nominated for the
2012 Indianapolis Prize
Media Contacts
Judith L. Gagen
Indianapolis Zoo
(317) 630-2010
jgagen@indyzoo.org
Linda Jackson
Borshoff
(317) 631-6400
linda.jackson@borshoff.biz
Chair
Myrta J. Pulliam
Honorary Chairs
Jane Alexander
Christel DeHaan
Harrison Ford
Gilbert M. Grosvenor
Marvin Hamlisch
Carl Hiaasen
Elinor Ostrom
Roger W. Sant
E.O. Wilson
Executive Committee
Mayor Greg Ballard
Mary Clare Broadbent
Brian W. Casey, Ph.D.
Margot L. Eccles
Lori Efroymson-Aguilera
Suzanne M. Fehsenfeld
Anton H. George
Jo Ann Gora, Ph.D.
Jim Irsay
Scott A. Jones
Cathy Langham
Michael A. McRobbie, Ph.D.
Michael S. Maurer
Samuel L. Odle
Jeffrey H. Smulyan
Nominating Committee
Paul Boyle, Ph.D.
Alan Channing, Ph.D.
Gábor Csorba, Ph.D.
Norah Fletchall
Allan B. Hubbard, J.D.
Michael Hutchins, Ph.D.
Nancy Knowlton, Ph.D.
Dayton H. Molendorp, CLU
Tara Stoinski, Ph.D.
Jury
Katharine Abernethy, Ph.D.
Christel DeHaan
John Fa, Ph.D.
Wm. Robert Irvin, J.D.
Paul Grayson
Zhigang Jiang, Ph.D.
Robert H. McKinney, J.D.
Laurel Neme, Ph.D.
Moses Makonjio Okello, Ph.D.
Myrta J. Pulliam
November 18, 2011
Renowned animal conservationist vies for
prestigious international honor and $100,000 award
INDIANAPOLIS --- Poachers, disease, civil wars, heat, cold, rain, drought, pollution, ignorance,
indifference. Those are just some of the challenges faced by the 29 conservationists who have
devoted their lives to saving the Earth’s endangered species and who have been nominated to receive
the biennial Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation. Charles Mayhew,
MBE, is one of them. Mayhew, chief executive and founder of Tusk Trust in the United Kingdom,
has been recognized for his efforts to protect elephants and the African ecosystem. Founded in 1990,
Tusk Trust has raised $25 million for African conservation. In 2005, Tusk was chosen by HRH
Prince William as one of the first two charities to receive his Royal Patronage, and it remains the
Prince’s only international charity.
Mayhew was also the visionary and original architect behind the innovative Pan African
Conservation Education (PACE) initiative, an environmental educational resource pack that includes
a series of educational films that has now been adopted by hundreds of teachers, schools and
education centers across Africa. He has devoted himself to more than 100 African conservation
projects linking wildlife protection with sustainable community development and education. He coproduced the 1994 family feature film “Lost in Africa,” which raised awareness about ivory
poaching and was distributed to more than 30 countries. In 2005, Mayhew was honored by HM
Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to wildlife conservation when he was made a MBE, a
Member of the Order of the British Empire.
The work of all the Indianapolis Prize nominees spans the globe, representing a range of species and
locales. The Nominating Committee will review the applications and select six finalists, who will be
announced in the spring of 2012. The Prize Jury will then determine the winner, who will be
announced in mid-2012 and honored at the next Indianapolis Prize Gala presented by Cummins,
Sept. 29, 2012, at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis.
In addition to receiving the $100,000 Prize, the recipient is also awarded the Lilly Medal, an original
work of art that signifies the winner’s contributions to conserving some of the world’s most
threatened animals. The 2010 Indianapolis Prize was awarded to legendary elephant advocate Iain
Douglas-Hamilton. His accomplishments span decades and continents, bringing global attention to
the issue of blood ivory and inspiring others to join the battle against poachers and traders.
“Douglas-Hamilton has set a high bar, but the current nominees are remarkable,” said Michael
Crowther, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo, the organization responsible for initiating the
conservation award. “Each conservationist has his or her own unique story and has made significant
contributions toward the preservation and awareness of Earth’s precious wildlife.”
In alphabetical order, the outstanding nominees for the 2012 Indianapolis Prize are:
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Steven C. Amstrup, Ph.D.: (Polar Bears International) Directed research that led to the
2008 listing of polar bears as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act;
developed infrared technology to locate polar bear dens under the snow.
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Mayhew Nominated for Indianapolis Prize
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P. Dee Boersma, Ph.D.: (University of Washington, Seattle; Center for Penguins as Ocean Sentinels)
Since 1970s has studied and documented impact of global warming on penguins, and successfully
stopped harmful harvesting and development through penguin colonies.
Markus Borner, Ph.D.: (Frankfurt Zoological Society) Champion for the Serengeti ecosystem and its
endangered black rhinos through biodiversity conservation and ecologically sustainable development;
established the first Community Conservation Program in the Serengeti.
Robert Buchanan: (Polar Bears International) Leader in polar bear conservation and champion for the
Arctic; created PBI’s Tundra Connections™ educational program that broadcasts live programs over
the Internet into classrooms around the world.
Gerardo Ceballos, Ph.D.: (Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
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.
Lisa Dabek, Ph.D.: (Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program; Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle) 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 that allows scientists to
record animal behavior through mounted video cameras and transmitters.
Jaret Daniels, Ph.D.: (University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History; IFAS Department
of Entomology and Nematology) Butterfly conservationist dedicated to assisting imperiled butterfly
species recovery; formed the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network, a statewide citizen-scientist
program that trains volunteers and directly engages researchers.
Karen L. Eckert, Ph.D.: (WIDECAST: Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network)
Dedicated to research, multilateral marine resource management and the international conservation
policies for sea turtles for more than three decades.
Lisa Hywood: (Tikki Hywood Trust) Works tirelessly to preserve Zimbabwe’s wildlife – including
captive breeding, management and monitored release of endangered species and conservation
education in underprivileged, rural areas.
Rodney Jackson, Ph.D.: (Snow Leopard Conservancy) Conducted an in-depth radio-tracking study of
snow leopards in the 1980s; dedicated to building local communities’ capacity as key players in
conserving the species; finalist for the 2008 and 2010 Indianapolis Prize.
Charlene Jendry: (Columbus Zoo and Aquarium) Responsible for numerous initiatives that have had
a positive impact on survival of mountain gorillas and resulted in significantly reduced poaching and
deforestation.
Carl Jones, Ph.D.: (Mauritian Wildlife Foundation) Biologist who pioneered the techniques of
applied population management to reverse the decline of the most 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 ten.
James A. Kushlan, Ph.D.: (HeronConservation, the IUCN Heron Specialist Group) Co-founded the
IUCN Heron Specialist Group; primary author of the 2004 North American Waterbird Conservation
Plan which systemized the conservation needs of more than 200 species from Canada through the
Caribbean.
Robert C. Lacy, Ph.D.: (Chicago Zoological Society; IUCN Conservation Breeding Specialist Group)
Developed analytical techniques and software for optimal genetic management of wildlife populations
while pioneering research on the importance of genetic diversity.
David W. Macdonald, D.Sc.: (WildCRU: Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of
Oxford) Pioneered the scientific basis of practical conservation, establishing conservation biology as a
science among European universities by founding WildCRU in 1986; specializes in wild carnivore
research and was the founder and, for 25 years, chairman of the IUCN’s Canid Specialist Group.
Laurie Marker, D.Phil.: (Cheetah Conservation Fund) Founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund; led
a conservation program from humble beginnings in rural Namibia to an unparalleled model for
predator conservation; finalist for the 2008 and 2010 Indianapolis Prize.
Sharon Matola: (Belize Zoo) Founder of the Belize Zoo; spearheading Belize’s environmental
education on behalf of jaguars.
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Charles Mayhew, MBE: (Tusk Trust) African ecosystem conservationist who co-founded Tusk
Trust in 1990; backed the launch of a collection of community-managed conservancies now
covering 3 million acres in northern Kenya and instigated the acclaimed PACE, Pan African
environmental education initiative.
Russell A. Mittermeier, Ph.D.: (Conservation International) Visionary leader able to motivate
every level of conservationist to support the greater good of many species, including primates; one
of the first academic primatologists to become concerned with the welfare and conservation of
primates.
George B. Rabb, Ph.D.: (Chicago Zoological Society) Leading amphibian conservationist in
halting the species’ decline; facilitated discovery of the chytrid fungus that has been called the most
devastating animal disease ever recorded.
Alan Rabinowitz, Ph.D.: (Panthera) Large cat conservationist whose dedication to the species has
led to the development of multiple protected areas across the globe; conducted the first-ever radio
telemetry research on Asiatic leopards, Asian leopard cats and civets.
Terri Lynn Roth, Ph.D.: (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden) Tireless researcher and advocate
for rhino survival worldwide; achieved the scientific breakthrough that led to successful
breeding in 2001 of the first Sumatran rhino calf to be produced in human care in 112 years;
founder of the Sumatran Rhino Global Management and Propagation Board.
Carl Safina, Ph.D.: (Blue Ocean Institute) Brought ocean conservation into the environmental
mainstream by using science, art and literature to inspire a “sea ethic;” finalist for the 2010
Indianapolis Prize.
Joel D. Sartore: (National Geographic) Photojournalist with mission to give vanishing species and
habitats a voice before they’re gone forever; co-founder of The Grassland Foundation.
Anne Savage, Ph.D.: (Disney’s Animal Kingdom) Blending conservation and education with
innovative programs in South America, including the “eco-mochila” initiative that reduces pollution
and creates jobs.
Claudio Sillero, Ph.D.: (University of Oxford) Founder and director of the Ethiopian Wolf
Conservation Programme, keeping watch over Africa's rarest and most endangered carnivore.
Jim Thomas: (Tenkile Conservation Alliance) Tripled the endangered Tenkile (tree kangaroo)
population from 100 to 300 animals in eight years.
Charlie Welch: (Duke Lemur Center) Nurtured a Madagascar forest station into a multi-faceted
conservation center with long-term programs of lemur captive husbandry, environment education,
reforestation, sustainable agriculture, training/capacity building and other components.
Patricia Wright, Ph.D.: (Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments) Discovered the
golden bamboo lemur in 1986, a species that was then unknown to science, which helped to
catalyze the transformation of Madagascar’s park systems, turning it into a model for global
conservation efforts.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Downloadable jpg images to accompany this story are available on the
Indianapolis Prize website: http://www.indianapolisprize.org/SitePages/PressRoom/PressRoom.aspx
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The Indianapolis Prize was initiated by the Indianapolis Zoo as a significant component of its mission to empower
people and communities, both locally and globally, to advance animal conservation. This biennial award brings the
world’s attention to the cause of animal conservation and the brave, talented and dedicated men and women who
spend their lives saving the Earth’s endangered animal species. The recipient also receives the Lilly Medal, an
original work of art that signifies the winner’s contributions to conserving some of the world’s most threatened
animals. The 2010 Indianapolis Prize was awarded to Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder and CEO of Save the Elephants
and legendary conservation figure. Additional Prize predecessors include Dr. George Archibald, the co-founder of the
International Crane Foundation, and Dr. George Schaller, the world’s pre-eminent field biologist and vice president
of science and exploration for the World Conservation Society. The Indianapolis Prize has received support from the
Eli Lilly and Company Foundation since its inception in 2006.