The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) salutes Mark Haldane of Zambeze Delta Safaris, Mozambique, as this year's Markhor Award winner. The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) and WSF present the Award every two years. The Award is sponsored by WSF, CIC, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The award recognizes Zambeze Delta Safaris for more than three decades of conservation work in the Zambeze Delta, including recovering buffalo populations from 2,300 to around 30,000, reintroducing lions, and supporting local communities.
The announcement was made at CBD COP17 in Yerevan, with Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, participating and highlighting the role of sustainable use in conserving biodiversity and supporting local livelihoods.
"Safari operators, guides and outfitters investing directly into the wildlife resources that support them and their local communities is nothing new, but they rarely get the recognition they deserve," said Corey Mason, WSF's Executive Vice President of Conservation and COO. "This award honors projects that integrate wildlife conservation with local community livelihoods. By transforming a region previously impacted by poaching into a thriving conservation area, Mark Haldane and his team have embodied the spirit this Award was created to acknowledge."
Wildlife populations had been severely depleted from the Mozambique Civil War when Haldane arrived in the region in 1994.
The Markhor Award acknowledges outstanding conservation initiatives, private or government institutions, and individuals that link biodiversity conservation with local human livelihoods through sustainable use—specifically regulated hunting and wildlife management.
Mason added, "The award is named after a mountain goat species of conservation concern, whose population has increased 25-fold in recent years through sustainable hunting tourism. When hunting revenue benefits local communities, it fosters a vested interest in conserving the wildlife around them. WSF is proud to help recognize such achievements. Our congratulations to Mark and his team for taking the initiative to repair what was broken and bringing thriving wildlife populations back to this region."
The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF), based in Bozeman, Mont., was founded in 1977 by sportsmen and other wild sheep conservationists. WSF is the premier advocate for wild sheep, having raised and expended more than $145 million, positively impacting these species through population and habitat enhancements, research and education, and conservation advocacy programs in North America, Europe, and Asia to "Put and Keep Wild Sheep On the Mountain"®. In North America, these and other efforts have increased bighorn sheep populations from historic lows in the 1950s-60s of 25,000 to more than 85,000 today. WSF has a membership of more than 11,000 worldwide. www.wildsheepfoundation.org.