Indianapolis Prize Announced

Save the Elephants founder Iain Douglas-Hamilton (center in photo) has been named the 2010 recipient of the Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation. In recognition for his
lifetime achievements, Dr. Douglas-Hamilton will receive $100,000 and the Lilly Medal at a gala ceremony 25 September at The Westin Hotel, Indianapolis.

Born in Dorset, England, Douglas-Hamilton grew up in Constantia, Cape Town, South Africa, attended Gordonstoun School in Scotland and received his bachelor’s degree and doctorate from the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. He currently works and resides in Nairobi, Kenya.

In 1993, Douglas-Hamilton founded Save the Elephants (STE) in Northern Kenya, in order to create an effective and flexible nonprofit dedicated specifically to elephants. The organization works to sustain elephant populations and preserve the habitats in which elephants are found, while at the same time fostering a heightened appreciation and visibility for elephants and their often fragile existence.

The biennial $100,000 Indianapolis Prize represents the largest individual monetary award for animal conservation in the world and is given as an unrestricted gift to the chosen honoree. The Indianapolis Prize was initiated by the Indianapolis Zoo as a significant component of its mission to empower people and communities, both local and global, to advance animal conservation. This biennial award brings the world’s attention to the cause of animal conservation and the brave, talented and dedicated men and women who spend their lives saving the Earth’s endangered animal species.