African winners recognised at Animal Action Awards in London with a special award
A Nigerian pangolin protector, a Congolese activist, and a Kenyan boat builder that uses waste plastics are among nine extraordinary winners being recognised by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for their contributions to conservation and animals.
The prestigious annual Animal Action Awards puts a spotlight on the unsung heroes across the country, while also recognising winners from around the world. This year’s awards ceremony, at the BAFTA, London, will be presented by Sudanese-born wildlife presenter and cameraman, Hamza Yassin, known for BBC shows including Countryfile, Strictly Come Dancing and Hamza: Strictly Birds of Prey.
This year’s winners from Africa are:
Charles Emogor, a scientist originally from Nigeria on a mission to protect pangolins – a scaly mammal which is the world’s most trafficked animal. The Cambridge PhD student’s work largely focuses on behaviour change interventions with poachers, school children, regional chiefs and local communities around Cross River State, Nigeria to protect the white-bellied pangolin.
Bantu Lukambo, who has worked tirelessly to defend wildlife around the Virunga National Park the in Democratic Republic of Congo, even facing life-threatening situations from armed poachers, and has even been buried underground for two days. He has rescued infant gorillas, mobilised communities to prevent oil company explorations, and created a fund to raise awareness about environmental crimes.
Rudi Van Aarde, from South Africa, who sadly passed away last year, receives the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ (posthumous). He worked to find ways to understand the drivers of elephant population dynamics across southern Africa, home to 80% of Africa’s elephants. His legacy lives on through his pioneering work that sought to use science to inform conservation decisions and helped create the blueprint for the regional approach to elephant population management being implemented in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi.
Flipflopi Project, gets this year’s ‘Innovator of the Year’ as they have found a way to utilise waste plastics and heritage boat building to tackle plastic pollution, using the world’s first recycled plastic sailing dhow. The boat, which is largely made from disused flipflops, has been sailing the seas and engaging with coastal communities along the East coast of Africa on alternative uses for plastic waste.
According to Azzedine Downes, President and CEO, IFAW: “The annual Animal Action Awards give us a unique opportunity to celebrate the remarkable achievements of animal heroes from across the globe. Every year incredible and inspirational stories emerge of those whose unwavering commitment to conservation fulfils a deep sense of stewardship and ensures an enduring positive impact for animals, people and the place we call home.”
The winners receive their award at IFAW’s prestigious Animal Action Awards event at the BAFTA, London on October 17.
