ENVIRONMENT

Endangered species have a fighting chance thanks to these Indy Prize nominees

Conservationists rebuilding habitats and protecting seahorses, wild parrots, orphaned chimpanzees and a wide variety of other animals were among the 31 nominees for the Indianapolis Prize, a $250,000 award that shines a spotlight on scientists protecting endangered species worldwide.

Several of this year's nominees are working to prevent poaching or the illegal trafficking of animal products. But as much as the conservation work is about the animals, the biennial prize — which is sponsored by the Indianapolis Zoo — is about recognizing those who carry out the work. 

Indianapolis Zoo President Rob Shumaker said he is thrilled that the zoo can continue to highlight the conservationists' achievements. 

“These remarkable nominees are responsible for some of the finest conservation work occurring on our planet today," Shumaker said. "They lead, protect, inspire and offer hope for everyone who cares about the natural world.”  

A nominating committee and jury will select six finalists and then determine a winner, who will then be honored at the Indianapolis Prize Gala held on Sept. 12, 2020. Russ Mittermeier, one of the world's most foremost primatologists, won the 2018 Prize

The Indianapolis Prize, first awarded in 2006, is considered the Academy Award of the animal conservation world. The nominees are organized alphabetically: 

Bala Amarasekaran is one of 31 nominees for the 2020 Indianapolis Prize, which recognizes conservationists for their work.

Bala Amarasekaran (Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary) — Founder of a sanctuary in Sierra Leone, where more than 100 critically endangered, orphaned chimpanzees are cared for. 

Purnima Devi Barman, Ph.D. (Aranyak Biodiversity Conservation Society) — Renowned environmentalist focused on efforts to conserve greater adjutant storks, the most endangered stork species in India.

Caroline Blanvillain, Ph.D. (Société d’Ornithologie de Polynésie) — Champion for the avian biodiversity of French Polynesia, including protection of the Tahiti monarch, the most critically endangered of the native bird species.

P. Dee Boersma, Ph.D.

P. Dee Boersma, Ph.D. (University of Washington; Ecosystem Sentinels) — Conservationist dedicated to the study of global warming's impact on penguins. Finalist for the 2016 and 2018 Indianapolis Prize.

Christophe Boesch, Ph.D. (Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology; Wild Chimpanzee Foundation) — Primatologist dedicated to providing alternatives to bush meat and applying new technology to great ape conservation.

Sheila Bolin (The Regal Swan Foundation, Inc.) — Author of habitat and care books and advocate for swans worldwide through conservation, research, veterinary medicine and education.

Richard Bonham (Big Life Foundation Kenya) — Protects elephants, black rhinos and lions in the Greater Amboseli ecosystem. With Maasai field staff, his work has led to the arrest of hundreds of wildlife crime suspects and the confiscation of more than a ton of ivory. 

Gerardo Ceballos, Ph.D. (Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico) — Champion for jaguars in Mexico, conducting the first country-level jaguar census. Finalist for the 2010 and 2014 Indianapolis Prize.

Lisa Dabek, Ph.D. (Paupa New Guinea Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program; Woodland Park Zoo) — Founder of the tree kangaroo program; responsible for the first conservation area in Papua New Guinea. 

Sarah Durant, Ph.D. (Zoological Society of London) — Advanced socio-ecological approaches for large carnivore conservation throughout Africa, developing 18 National Action Plans, covering 96 percent of African cheetah range. 

Sylvia Earle, Ph.D. is one of six finalists for the 2018 Indianapolis Prize, the world's top animal conservation award with a $250,000 cash prize.

Sylvia Earle, Ph.D. (Deep Ocean Exploration and Research Inc.; Mission Blue; SEAlliance) — Oceanographer, author and founder of organizations focused on researching ocean ecosystems. Logged more than 7,000 hours underwater. Finalist for the 2018 Indianapolis Prize. 

Suwanna Gauntlett, Ph.D. (Wildlife Alliance) — Created the alliance and is at the forefront of endangered species conservation, leading teams for Amur tigers, olive ridley turtles and the establishment of a National Park in the Cardamom Rainforest.

Suwanna Gauntlett is one of 31 nominees for the 2020 Indianapolis Prize, which recognizes conservationists for their work.

Issa Gedi (Northern Rangelands Trust; Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy and Sanctuary) — Leader in the conservation of the world’s most endangered antelope: the hirola. Eliminated predation and poaching in the sanctuary.

LoraKim Joyner (One Earth Conservation) — Wildlife veterinarian and researcher, protecting nests and rescuing wild parrots. Used Latin American community patrols to increase macaw populations and decrease check poaching.

Tah Eric Kaba (The Last Great Ape Organization) — Investigates and exposes criminals involved in illegal trafficking of wildlife products including elephant ivory, baby primates and pangolins. Has changed wildlife law enforcement in Cameroon and other African nations.

Robert Lacy, Ph.D. (Chicago Zoological Society, Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative; IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group) — Innovator of data analysis and modeling tools to manage species at risk of extinction, including killer whales, takahe, gray wolves, Iberian lynx, and more.

Harvey Locke (Harvey Locke Consulting) — Photographer and writer recognized for his work in Canada’s national park creation, and management and conservation of large landscapes.

Roderic Mast (Oceanic Society) — Founder and leader of the State of the World’s Sea Turtles program, which is the first open-access database on global sea turtle biogeography. 

Debra Moskovits (second from left) is one of 31 nominees for the 2020 Indianapolis Prize, which recognizes conservationists for their work.

Debra Moskovits, Ph.D. (The Field Museum) — Pioneered a conservation model that led to the protection of 21.5 million acres of wilderness in South America and China, home to more than 2,200 vertebrate species.

Ikponke Nkanta (Tropical Research and Conservation Centre) — Leads conservation efforts, including forest-friendly agriculture, for critically endangered Sclater’s guenon, one of the highest priority species among the African primates.

Olivier Nsengimana, DVM, MVetSci. (Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association) — Founded organization to stop illegal poaching and protect endangered grey crowned cranes through educational outreach, habitat rehabilitation and collaboration between government and communities.

Jamie Rappaport Clark (Defenders of Wildlife) — Instrumental in developing coexistence techniques for gray wolves across the contiguous United States and shepherded recovery of bald eagles, black-footed ferrets, grizzly bears, red wolves and Florida panthers.

Paul Ritter (background) is one of 31 nominees for the 2020 Indianapolis Prize, which recognizes conservationists for their work.

Paul Ritter (Pontiac Township High School) — Led high school student involvement in reintroduction efforts for alligator snapping turtles to their historic home range and secured acreage for habitat for vital pollinators and shorebirds. 

John Robinson, Ph.D. (Wildlife Conservation Society) — Leader of the society’s Global Program, helping establish terrestrial and marine protected areas, including sites for tigers, western and eastern gorillas, forest elephants, coral species, jaguars and more.

Ian Singleton, Ph.D. (Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme; PanEco-YEL) — Responsible for groundbreaking ecological field studies on Sumatran orangutans. Focused on habitat and species protection, education, law enforcement, rehabilitation and reintroduction.

Angela Smith (Shark Team One) — Instrumental in conservation action for whale shark, oceanic whitetip, great hammerhead and tiger shark; and for protecting thousands of acres of underwater habitat for sharks, coral reefs, mangrove nurseries and top predators such as barracuda and goliath grouper.

Jigmet Takpa (Government of Jammu and Kashmir, India; Department of Wildlife Protection) — Focused on evidence-based landscape-level conservation programs in Ladakh northern India, resulting in population recovery of snow leopard, Tibetan argali, gazelle and antelope.

Martin Tyner (Southwest Wildlife Foundation of Utah) — Falconer and creator of a foundation dedicated to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, environmental education and the development of the Cedar Canyon Nature Park.

Endangered grey crowned cranes.

Amanda Vincent, Ph.D. (Project Seahorse) — Leading authority on seahorse biology and global conservation, and the first person to study seahorses underwater. Finalist for the 2010 and 2016 Indianapolis Prize.

William Weber, Ph.D. (Yale University) — Creator of the Congo Basin Forest Project for the Wildlife Conservation Society resulting in success for mountain gorilla conservation, as well as leading efforts to restore the bison and other species.

Long Yongcheng, Ph.D. (Alashan Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology; The Nature Conservancy) — Intensively studied the rare Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, endemic to the disappearing primeval forests in southwestern China. 

Nominee descriptions are provided by the Indianapolis Zoo.

Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Join The Scrub on Facebook.

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.