Prestigious award for Bristol elephant group

Mafunyane, one of the study elephants wearing a radio collar, in the lagoon outside base camp Kate Evans

6 October 2011

Dr Kate Evans and Elephants for Africa have been selected as the 2011 recipients of the prestigious ‘George B. Rabb Conservation Medal’ for their dedicated work in understanding elephant biology and supporting conservation in Africa.

Dr Kate Evans and Elephants for Africa have been selected as the 2011 recipients of the prestigious ‘George B. Rabb Conservation Medal’ for their dedicated work in understanding elephant biology and supporting conservation in Africa.

This Award was created in 2005 by the Chicago Zoological Society to honour the conservation leadership of George B. Rabb, its former president. Rabb’s pioneering work led the zoo towards its current position as a conservation centre, a concept he as championed for zoos everywhere. Former recipients of the award are all eminent lifelong conservationists with decades of expertise and major roles in universities and charities.

The Society is particularly impressed with the balance of scientific research and educational components in EfA’s work. In addition to conducting a wide spectrum of research projects, Dr Evans, an Honorary Associate of the School of Biological Sciences working with Prof Steve Harris, set up the ‘Boyce Zero Scholarship’, which enables Motswana citizens to obtain post-graduate qualifications in conservation. This is a fully funded scholarship and the first student, Mphoeng Ofithile, is scheduled to complete his MSc in Bristol by the end of 2011.

This accolade is a tremendous honour for Dr Evans, a founder member of Elephants for Africa, who is also the first woman and the first non-US citizen to receive the medal.

About Elephants for Africa

Elephants for Africa is a registered charity in England and Wales, no. 1122027, dedicated to elephant conservation through research and education.

Officially registered in 2007, the charity has grown from the success of a research project established by Dr Kate Evans in the Okavango Delta, Botswana in 2002.

EfA conducts a broad range of scientific research projects that aim to address the fundamental conservation issues facing the African elephant, both in the wild and captivity. Additionally, it supports educational initiatives designed to inform local people on how to live in harmony with wildlife and effectively conserve it for generations to come.

For more information, please contact:

Dr Kate Evans, Founder Member and Director of Research & Education (Kate@ElephantsForAfrica.org)