Heroes saving Africa’s wildlife

The winners of the Tusk Conservation Awards 2016 were announced this week at a ceremony attended by its patron, the Duke of Cambridge. Martin Fletcher highlights their achievements

fruitless months searching for sables in Luando. Finally they turned to Sacaia, who knew of an area where they had survived that was so remote no white person or vehicle had visited it for 30 years. The foundation hired a helicopter and found the last sables exactly where Sacaia had said. It then moved two bulls to Cangandala and launched a successful breeding programme. Luando now has about 140 sables, and Cangandala 50. Sacaia today in Luando heads a team of 22 “sable shepherds” to whom the foundation pays small stipends. He is training a new generation, including two of his sons, to guard the sables, and still leads patrols deep into the bush for two or three weeks at a time. The dangers have not gone away. Three times he has been fired at by poachers, so he now carries an AK-47. Last year he was caught in a mantrap. His leg survived, but two fellow shepherds had to carry him 12 miles to the nearest village.

“We’re amazed by Sacaia’s experience and wisdom,” Vladimir Russo, the foundation’s executive director, said. “Even in times of war, poverty and hunger he was telling his colleagues the animal is a national symbol and they should be proud of saving it.”

See tusk.org. To read a full transcript of the Duke of Cambridge’s speech at the Tusk Awards see telegraph. co.uk/tt-tusk2016

Manuel Sacaia, above, has survived a civil war, dodged bullets and escaped capture to save Angola’s sable; Cathy Dreyer, right, works to protect black rhinos