Work to save polar bears earns scientist coveted Indianapolis Prize

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Work to save the arctic’s iconic polar bears has earned Dr. Steven C. Amstrup the coveted Indianapolis Prize, and the $100,000 that comes with it.

The prize – considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for animal conservation, is awarded every other year to someone who makes extraordinary contributions to the conservation of a single species.

"You actually have to have saved something from extinction if you're going to win the Indianapolis Prize,” Indianapolis Zoo President and CEO Mike Crowther.

• FINALISTS | Learn about this year's finalists and their work

This year’s Indianapolis Prize recognizes Amstrup’s life-long work to transform the world’s understanding of polar bears and the efforts to save them, the zoo said in a news release. In 2007, he led an international team of researchers to assess the likely future impact of global warming on polar bears.

He projected that two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear by midcentury, and all could be lost by the end of the century, if greenhouse gas emissions continue on the present course. The group’s reports led to polar bears being listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. It is the first and only species thus far to be listed on the basis of global warming threats, the zoo said.

"By bringing greater awareness to the polar bears' plight and plausible solutions, he has created a lifeline for the entire species," Crowther said.

Armstrup will be presented with the Indianapolis Prize and the Lilly Medal at a gala Sept. 29 at the JW Marriott Hotel, presented by Cummins.