Two Kenyans Saving Elephants Honoured in London by Prince William

Prince William (center) with the winners and finalists of the Tusks Conservation awards in London on November 2, 2022
Prince William (center) with the winners and finalists of the Tusks Conservation awards in London on November 2, 2022
APO Group

Two Kenyans, Ian Craig, and David Daballen, were among individuals honoured in London by Prince William for their outstanding efforts to protect, save and preserve the African elephant.

Craig and Faballen came first and second in the 2022 Tusk Conservation awards held in London at the Hampton Court Palace.

The winner was awarded a trophy specially crafted by Patrick Mavros, founder of a luxury jewellery brand, while all the finalists received grants totalling Ksh47.1 million (£ 345,000) to boost their conservation efforts.

Each winner was set to get Ksh10.2 million ( £75,000) in grants to further their conservation efforts.

Prince William (left) and Ian Craig (right) holding a trophy at the Tusks Conservation award ceremony in London November 2, 2022
Prince William (left) and Ian Craig (right) holding a trophy at the Tusks Conservation award ceremony in London on November 2, 2022
APO Group

Interestingly Craig, raised in Kenya, championed the establishment of the first community-owned and managed conservancies in Northern Kenya.

He additionally, lead the creation of the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) in 2004. The establishment has contributed to the increase in the number of elephants, giraffes, and the endangered Grevy's zebra.

"It is no longer a case of working with communities or bringing communities into the conservation. It's a case of keeping up with communities," Craig stated.

He further argued that wealth and opportunity shouldn’t solely be in the big, protected areas, rather, the other side. 

The awards that began in 2013 celebrate the unsung conservation heroes protecting Africa's natural heritage

“As Sir David Attenborough reminded us at this ceremony five years ago, Africa’s wildlife is truly special. What the Awards alumni, their dedicated teams, and local communities are protecting is ‘one of the great natural treasures of the world," Prince William stated.

"And yet, we also know that it is just a fragment of what there once was. That is why it is vital that we do everything in our power to halt the frightening decline in species that our planet has witnessed over the last 50 years,” he added.

Other winners awarded at the event were Neddy Mulimo, Achilles Brunnel Byaruhanga and Miguel Gonçalves from Zambia, Uganda, and Mozambique.

Prince William (center) chats with the two finalists David Daballen (Maasai attire) and Dismas Partalala Ole Meitaya from Tanzania (traditional attire) of the Tusks Conservation awards in London on November 2, 2022
Prince William (center) chats with the two finalists David Daballen (Maasai attire) and Dismas Partalala Ole Meitaya from Tanzania (traditional attire) of the Tusks Conservation awards in London on November 2, 2022
APO Group