Endangered Wildlife Trust wins prestigious award for Endangered Species Conservation

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Lisbeth
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Endangered Wildlife Trust wins prestigious award for Endangered Species Conservation

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27 August 20118

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is extremely proud to announce that the EWT Vultures for Africa Programme Manager, Andre Botha, was recognised with a special award for Endangered Species Conservation at the prestigious Rhino Conservation Awards on Friday, 24 August 2018.

While the Rhino Conservation Awards were founded in 2011 to recognise significant role players in rhino conservation, the Special Award for Endangered Species Conservation was included to honour a person, team or entity working full-time in the field to combat poaching of other Endangered species.

Andre was nominated for his extensive work in the field of vulture conservation, having championed this cause through his work with the EWT since 2004. His passion has always been for vultures, and his work has resulted in bringing the importance of vulture conservation to the international stage. Andre’s achievements to fight the poisoning and persecution of Africa’s vultures have been considerable at a time when these birds are under heightened pressures across the continent.

Vultures are amongst the most extinction-prone species in the world, and Andre has dedicated his career to saving these special birds from the many threats they face. His achievements include implementing the first wing-tagging programme focused on southern African vultures in 2006, initiating International Vulture Awareness Day in 2009, which is now a global event and celebrated in 17 countries, establishing the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Vulture Specialist Group, and Co-chairing this group since its inception to date. Andre also developed the EWT’s Poisoning Intervention Training programme, which has been presented to more than 1,400 law enforcement staff, rangers, veterinarians and community members in six countries in southern and east Africa. He acts as over-arching coordinator for the Vulture Multi-species Action Plan for African-Eurasian Vulture, which was formally adopted by all 128 range countries at the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals Convention of the Parties 12 in Manilla, Philippines in October 2017.

In a reflection of his continual dedication to his work, Andre was in the field when the awards were presented at a gala dinner in Johannesburg on Friday night. Upon hearing that he had won, Andre said: “I am indeed honoured by the award which, in essence, is recognition by my peers (fellow rangers and conservationists) for the work that I have been involved in over the last 15 years. It certainly does serve as further motivation for me to not only continue working towards the conservation of Old World vultures and their habitats, but to also create a greater appreciation among humanity for these birds that are providing a critically important service to the benefit of other species, especially humans and the livestock that they depend on.”

Endangered species need champions to highlight their plight and garner support, and vultures have a true champion in Andre.


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Re: Endangered Wildlife Trust wins prestigious award for Endangered Species Conservation

Post by Richprins »

Congratulations, Andre! ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^


Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596
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