At the Tusk Foundation Awards ceremony held at the Savoy Hotel in London, Prince William, the foundation’s Royal Patron, honoured three recipients for their outstanding commitment to conservation in Africa.
Among the winners was Nomba Ganamé, recipient of the Prince William African Conservation Award. As Field Operations Manager for the Mali Elephant Project, Ganamé has played a vital role in preserving Mali’s unique elephants.
The Tusk African Conservation Award was presented to Edward Aruna. Aruna has gained national recognition for his significant work by founding the Reptile and Amphibian Programme in Sierra Leone in 2012.
Claver Ntoyinkima won the Wildlife Guardian Award, which celebrates the dedication of an individual who works in the field every day to protect African wildlife. Ntoyinkima works in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda.
Prince William said at the ceremony: “I consider ourselves the lucky ones. We live in a world where incredible wildlife exists. And I want that to continue for generations to come.”
“I want my children to live in a world where swallows still migrate, where gorillas still inhabit the cloud forests of Uganda, and where rhinos still roam the arid wastes of Namibia. It will be through extraordinary leaders like those we celebrate today that this will happen,” he added.
Africa is currently on the front lines of a crucial conservation battle.
Climate change, poaching and overfishing remain major obstacles in the fight to preserve wildlife.
The images of Prince William presenting the awards to the conservation winners highlighted the importance of these efforts to protect African wildlife and inspired others to join this vital cause.