Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Mwezi “Badru” Mugerwa, who works to protect rarely seen African golden cats, is the winner of this year’s Indianapolis Prize Emerging Conservationist Award, officials announced Tuesday.
African golden cats, classified as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, live in tropical forests in countries such as Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Congo and Uganda.
Mugerwa uses motion-triggered cameras to record images of the wild cats, scientifically known as Caracal aurata, which are about twice the size of domestic cats. The future of African golden cats is threatened by deforestation and poachers who sell pelts and bushmeat.
Mugerwa will receive $50,000 to spend on his work in Uganda, where he founded a community-based conservation organization known as Embaka—the word for “golden cat” in the Rukiga language spoken in Uganda. He leads anti-poaching efforts at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is known for its mountain gorilla population.
“Mwezi’s passion for involving the local community in conservation efforts is what makes him so worthy of receiving this award,” said Rob Shumaker, CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, in a written statement.
The Indianapolis Zoological Society, which operates the Indianapolis Zoo, launched the Indianapolis Prize to support animal conservation in 2004.
The Emerging Conservationist Award, which debuted in 2023, is presented every two years to a conservationist younger than 40. The first honoree was Fanny Cornejo, who works to protect the critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey in Peru,
The Indianapolis Prize awards $250,000 every two years to a conservationist for major achievements in advancing the sustainability of an animal species or a group of species. Mugerwa and the yet-to-be-announced 2025 Indianapolis Prize winner will be saluted during a Sept. 27 gala in Indianapolis.
The Emerging Conservationist Award is supported by the Kobe Foundation, an Indianapolis-based charity founded by Trey Fehsenfeld. His mother, Suzanne Fehsenfeld, co-founded the Mara Elephant Project.
In 2024, Mugerwa was one of 15 recipients of the National Geographic Society’s Wayfinder Award.
He was one of 10 finalists announced for the Emerging Conservationist Award. The others:
- Sergio Balaguera-Reina, Colombia
- Hollie Booth, Indonesia
- Aristide Takoukam Kamla, Cameroon
- Elisa Panjang, Malaysia
- Kumar Paudel, Nepal
- David Pavlik, United States
- Arely Ramírez-García, Mexico
- Yik-Hei Sung, China
- Iroro Tanshi, Nigeria
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Congratulations!