Durrell conservationist nominated for Indianapolis award

Prof Carl Jones has been involved in recovering five bird species whose populations were less than 10

A Durrell conservationist has been nominated for an international animal conservation award.

Prof Carl Jones is one of 29 people nominated for the 2012 Indianapolis Prize.

The biennial award is for "the brave, talented and dedicated men and women who spend their lives saving the Earth's endangered animal species".

The last winner in 2010 was conservationist of elephants, Dr Iain Douglas-Hamilton.

'Precious wildlife'

Michael Crowther, of the Indianapolis Zoo, the organisation responsible for initiating the conservation award, said: "Douglas-Hamilton has set a high bar, but the current nominees are remarkable.

"Each conservationist has his or her own unique story and has made significant contributions toward the preservation and awareness of Earth's precious wildlife."

The six finalists will be announced in spring 2012 and the prize jury picks the winner in mid-2012.

They will be honoured at the Indianapolis Prize Gala on 29 September 2012 in Indianapolis.

Prof Jones has been involved in the recovery of five bird species whose populations were less than 10, including the Mauritius kestrel, the pink pigeon, and the echo parakeet.

He is an international conservation fellow at Durrell as well as scientific director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation.

He is also an honorary reader in ecology and conservation biology at the University of East Anglia.