INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Prize officials announced Tuesday the 44 leaders in animal conservation who are the nominees for the 2025 Indianapolis Prize.
This biennial award showcases the inspiring work of animal conservationists around the world and their achievements, according to a news release.
The first prize winner will receive $250,000 and the five DeHaan Finalists will each receive $50,000, officials said.
“The Nominees for the Indianapolis Prize are true champions for wildlife. I am honored to highlight the important achievements of these remarkable individuals through the Indianapolis Prize,” said Dr. Rob Shumaker, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo.
The nominating committee is starting their work now to pick the DeHaan Finalists. Officials said the jury will determine the winner from the DeHaan Finalists.
Honorees will be celebrated next year at the Indianapolis Prize Gala on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at the JW Marriott in downtown.
The nominees for the 2025 Indianapolis prize are:
- Raju Acharya Sharma (Friends of Nature, Nepal)
- Anastazia T. Banaszak, Ph.D. (Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico)
- Joel Berger, Ph.D. (Wildlife Conservation Society, USA)
- Sheila A. Bolin (The Regal Swan® Foundation, Inc., USA)
- Christopher Buttermore (The Dallas World Aquarium & Auburn University, USA)
- Alberto Alves Campos (Aquasis, Brazil and University of British Columbia, Canada)
- Juan Carlos Cantú Guzmán (Teyeliz, A.C., Mexico)
- Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez, Ph.D. (El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Mexico)
- Topiltzin Contreras-MacBeath, Ph.D. (Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, Mexico)
- Lisa Dabek, Ph.D. (Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, Papua New Guinea and Woodland Park Zoo, USA)
- Sharon L. Deem, DVM, Ph.D. (Saint Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine, USA)
- Purnima Devi Barman, Ph.D. (Aaranyak, India)
- Sebastián Di Martino (Rewilding Argentina Foundation, Argentina)
- Amy Dickman, Ph.D. (Lion Landscapes, Great Britian)
- Karen L. Eckert, Ph.D. (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network, WIDECAST, USA)
- Ehab Eid (Eco Values for Sustainable Development, Jordan)
- Josephine Ekiru (Northern Rangelands Trust, Kenya)
- Biruté Mary Galdikas, Ph.D. (Orangutan Foundation International, USA)
- Axel Hochkirch, Ph.D. (National Museum of Natural History, Luxembourg)
- Lisa Hywood (Tikki Hywood Foundation, Zimbabwe)
- Rodney Jackson, Ph.D. (Snow Leopard Conservancy, USA)
- David Johnson (Katie Adamson Conservation Fund, USA)
- Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, DVM (Conservation Through Public Health, Uganda)
- Lucy Keith-Diagne, Ph.D. (African Aquatic Conservation Fund, Senegal)
- Laly Lichtenfeld, Ph.D. (African People & Wildlife, Tanzania)
- Laurie Marker, Ph.D. (Cheetah Conservation Fund, USA)
- Roderic Mast (Oceanic Society, USA)
- Gabriela Mastromonaco, Ph.D. (Toronto Zoo, Canada)
- Charudutt Mishra, Ph.D. (International Snow Leopard Trust, USA)
- Tilo Nadler (Three Monkeys Wildlife Conservancy, Vietnam)
- Citrakasih Nente, DVM (Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari, Indonesia)
- Petronel Nieuwoudt (Care for Wild, South Africa)
- Julie Packard (Monterey Bay Aquarium, USA)
- Peter Praschag, Ph.D. (Turtle Island, Austria)
- Lily-Arison René de Roland, Ph.D. (The Peregrine Fund, Madagascar)
- Maureen Reilly (Tech 4 Conservation Inc., Canada)
- Colin Simpfendorfer, Ph.D. (University of Tasmania, Australia)
- Ian Singleton, Ph.D., OBE (Orangutan Haven & PanEco Foundation, Indonesia)
- Tara Stoinski, Ph.D. (Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, USA)
- Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, Ph.D. (Aaranyak, India)
- Alvaro José Velasco Barbieri (Crocodile Specialist Group, Venezuela)
- Lee James Taylor White, Ph.D. (Institute for Tropical Ecology Research, Gabon and University of Stirling, Scotland)
- Kerri Wolter (VulPro NPC/PBO, South Africa)
- Zhou Jinfeng, Ph.D. (China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, China)
