The Indianapolis Prize, a prestigious award that recognizes leaders in wildlife conservation, has awarded its second Emerging Conservationist Award to Mwezi Badru Mugerwa. A Ugandan researcher and conservationist who combines community work with technology, Mugerwa has been working to stop the poaching of the little-known African golden cat (Caracal aurata) and bolster efforts to ramp up conservation of the species.

In an email interview with Mongabay, Mugerwa called the recognition “surreal.”

The Indianapolis Prize, awarded by Indianapolis Zoo, has long recognized individuals who have spearheaded successful conservation efforts around the world. The Emerging Conservationist Award, a new category which comes with prize money of $50,000, was established only in 2022 to recognize people under the age of 40 who have worked for the conservation of a species or a group of species. The main Indianapolis Prize will be announced in May, and both winners will be honored at a gala in Indianapolis in September.

“Mwezi’s passion for involving the local community in conservation efforts is what makes him so worthy of receiving this award,” Rob Shumaker, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, said in a press statement.

Mugerwa, whom  Mongabay profiled last year, founded the community-driven conservation organization Embaka to monitor and protect the African golden cat, which is endemic to West and Central Africa. Over the past 15 years, Mugerwa and his team have worked with communities that live close to the habitats of the reclusive wild cats to get them to stop poaching and join in on conservation efforts. His organization’s work has included offering free oral health care and helping families with credit and savings in exchange for a promise to stop poaching.

“Despite this, we have not been able to evaluate the impact of our conservation programs on the population status of the species,” he said. “With increasing socioeconomic demands and the need for food and money, bushmeat hunting is expected to only increase with consequences for the long-term survival of the African golden cat.”

To overcome this issue, the team deployed camera traps to assess and monitor the population of the cats, which are hard to physically track due to their elusive nature and the dense forests they prefer to live in. The team is also using artificial intelligence tools to analyze camera-trap data in a bid to establish a standardized framework that can help them better observe and study the species.

The recognition, Mugerwa said, will help his work gather momentum at a critical time for the cats. He said it will bring global attention to the African golden cat and potentially help garner more funding for conservation efforts.

“We will also use the recognition to persuade more local people to stop hunting and join our community-led conservation programs,” he said. “And to attract more individuals and organizations to get involved in African golden cat conservation.”

Banner image: The African golden cat is endemic to West and Central Africa. They are hard to physically track due to their elusive nature. Image courtesy of Badru Mugerwa / Embaka.

Abhishyant Kidangoor is a staff writer at Mongabay. Find him on 𝕏 @AbhishyantPK.

Africa’s little-known golden cat gets a conservation boost, with community help