Uganda (GroundReport) – Stany Nyandwi is the new winner of the Disney Conservation Hero Award for 2008.
Nyandwi left his family, his home, and his homeland behind when he helped stage a daring transport of orphaned chimpanzees out of war-torn Burundi to safety in 1995, say reports.
Nyandwi is the chief caregiver at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda, which is home to 48 orphaned chimpanzees. Despite little formal education, he is regarded among the most knowledgeable chimpanzee welfare experts in Africa.
Nyandwi will receive a cash prize of 500 dollars for being named a Disney Conservation Hero. This annual awards program developed by the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund is in recognition of conservation initiatives that are only as successful as the community and the local people involved with the project.
“PASA is extremely proud of Stany Nyandwi and the work he has accomplished on behalf of chimpanzees in East Africa,” said Doug Cress, executive director of PASA in a news report. “Stany’s dedication to chimpanzees – even when it meant possibly losing his family or his own life – is remarkable. He is yet another shining example of the courage and commitment we see every day at PASA sanctuaries across Africa.”
Leave Your Comments