Maryland Zoo honors zoologist for her work to preserve, research elephants in Africa
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BALTIMORE (WBAL) — The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is recognizing a world-renowned African elephant conservationist.
Zoologist Kate Evans, the founder and research leader at Elephants for Africa, has made it her life’s work to study and protect the majestic and regal animals whose populations in the wild are dwindling.
“It is vital. We’re down to about 460,000 elephants remaining in Africa, and Africa is a vast continent, it’s massive, and that’s not so many. You know, it’s very few,” Evans told 11 News.
Evans’ work not only helps save elephants in South Africa, but also helps others to learn about and understand the elephants living at the Maryland Zoo.
The Maryland Zoo honored Evans on Tuesday with the Dr. Mike Cranfield Conservation Award for her work on elephant conservation in Botswana.
Kirby Fowler, the zoo’s president and CEO, told 11 News that the zoo teamed up with Evans, who’s leading an important project to track elephants in Botswana.
“Unfortunately, the elephants are starting to come a little too close to the human populations and we’re wondering why this is happening — when they’re leaving lush territories behind to come to more desolate areas, and so we’re trying to figure out why that’s happening,” Fowler told 11 News.
Evans told 11 News she felt humbled by the award and said everyone is capable of making an impact.
“We are incredibly powerful as an individual. Every day, we can make decisions about the world around us, whether that’s picking up litter that you see or not having a plastic bottle. Those small things all add up to a big thing if everyone does it,” Evans told 11 News. “Now, when it comes to global conservation issues, it’s talking, it’s understanding, it’s reading and it’s voting. You can make a choice, and your choice is really important and really powerful.”
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