Indianapolis Prize Honors Ugandan Conservationist Emerging Leader for Wildlife Protection

Indianapolis Prize Honors Ugandan Conservationist Emerging Leader

The Indianapolis Prize, renowned as the leading global accolade for wildlife conservation, has bestowed its prestigious Emerging Conservationist Award upon Mwezi "Badru" Mugerwa. This recognition, awarded to a conservationist under the age of 40 with a significant impact on species survival, highlights Mugerwa's remarkable contributions to wildlife preservation in Uganda, particularly focusing on the African golden cat.

Mugerwa, a dedicated conservationist and researcher, is the founder and director of Embaka, a community-based conservation organization targeting the protection of the African golden cat. His groundbreaking work led to the establishment of the first community conservation project against poaching focused on this elusive species, located in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Under his leadership, Mugerwa founded the African Golden Cat Conservation Alliance (AGCCA), uniting citizens across Africa in conservation initiatives for this remarkable feline.

Dr. Rob Shumaker, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo, remarked, "Mwezi's passion for engaging local communities in conservation efforts makes him incredibly deserving of this award. It is a great honor to recognize him as the Emerging Conservationist of the Indianapolis Prize 2025." Mugerwa's journey with the African golden cat began through camera trap studies that captured a previously unknown animal in the forest. At that time, the species was largely undiscovered and considered an elusive inhabitant of equatorial African woodlands.

Through collaboration with local communities, Mugerwa identified that the primary threat to the wild cat, poaching, was directly tied to the locals’ livelihoods. He discovered that many residents fell victim to snares set for bushmeat, leading him to prioritize community engagement in his conservation strategy. Embaka, since its inception in 2015, has worked to involve locals in protective measures. The organization runs initiatives providing free dental healthcare and livestock resources while offering credit and savings assistance to families in exchange for commitments to cease poaching activities. More than 2,225 community members have joined to support the African golden cat's survival.

"Having a national park in your backyard is an opportunity, not a burden," Mugerwa explains. "That’s the connection we’ve been trying to make with the golden cat’s habitats in these communities. Once you engage and understand the local villagers’ needs—like needing funds for dental bills—you can present solutions effectively. Communities hold the keys to these challenges, but they must be consulted and involved."

Mugerwa and fellow AGCCA partners across 19 African nations are harnessing artificial intelligence to analyze camera trap data, progressing toward a standardized model for monitoring golden cat populations throughout the continent, ensuring that informed and sustainable conservation methods are employed.

He was chosen as the Emerging Conservationist Award recipient through a rigorous two-stage selection process, ultimately being named one of the top 10 finalists in October 2024. This award is made possible by a generous donation from the Kobe Foundation.

In addition to announcing Mugerwa's honor, the Indianapolis Prize will reveal its 2025 Indianapolis Prize Winner in May, who will receive a $250,000 award for their conservation work. Both the Indianapolis Prize Winner and the Emerging Conservationist Award recipient will be celebrated at the Indianapolis Prize Gala on September 27, 2025, presented by Cummins Inc., in downtown Indianapolis.

For more multimedia resources related to the 2025 Indianapolis Prize Emerging Conservationist Award, click here. To learn more about previous Indianapolis Prize winners, visit IndianapolisPrize.org.

About the Indianapolis Prize

The Indianapolis Prize honors and rewards conservationists who have made significant breakthroughs in advancing the sustainability of species or groups of species. The Emerging Conservationist Award, recently established in 2023, recognizes outstanding conservationists aged 40 and under. Since 2004, the Indianapolis Prize has distributed over $7 million in unrestricted cash grants, propelling conservation science through financial support and public awareness initiatives. The Indianapolis Prize is an initiative of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc.

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