Bennett Is Recipient of the 2015 Merkeda Award, Premier Civil Society Award for Conservation Accomplishments

Kuala Lumpur, December 10, 2015 -- WCS Vice President for Species Conservation Dr. Elizabeth Bennett has been awarded the 2015 Merdeka Award, Malaysia's premier civil society award.  This prestigious honor recognizes and celebrates the achievements and significant contributions of individuals to Malaysia and her people, within their respective fields. Bennett received the award at a ceremony here tonight.

Bennett was the recipient for the Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia category, specifically for conservation and management of wetland habitats and those of endangered wildlife in Malaysia.

Bennett moved to Sarawak, Malaysia in 1984 and worked there for 18 years. She started there by conducting the first ever detailed field study of the proboscis monkey, followed by studies of the effects of hunting and logging on wildlife. Her time in Sarawak culminated in her leading a team, with WCS and Sarawak Government staff, to write a comprehensive wildlife policy for the state, and subsequently to head a unit within the government to oversee its implementation. This included providing technical input for new wildlife laws, overseeing their implementation through education and enforcement programs, and assisting in planning Sarawak’s protected area system.

Bennett received her doctorate from Cambridge University on the ecology of primates in Peninsular Malaysia.

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WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.