2026 CIC Markhor Award Celebrates Mark Haldane’s Inspiring Conservation Success in Mozambique
On 22 October 2026, during a press conference at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, the 2026 CIC Markhor Award was proudly announced.
The honour went to Mark Haldane of Zambeze Delta Safaris for his remarkable work restoring wildlife and supporting thriving local communities in Mozambique’s Zambezi Delta. Tamar Kendon received the award on behalf of the Zambeze Delta.
Haldane’s initiative has brought wildlife populations back while introducing thoughtful, sustainable management practices that strengthen both nature and the people who live alongside it. By linking conservation with real benefits for local livelihoods, the project has created a positive cycle in which healthy ecosystems and community well-being reinforce each other.
The Markhor Award, established in 2008, takes its name from the markhor mountain goat of Pakistan—an animal whose recovery stands as a powerful example of what community-supported, sustainable management can achieve.
Co-managed by the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) and the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF), this biennial prize recognises outstanding conservation efforts that show how the responsible, sustainable use of wildlife can protect biodiversity, restore habitats, and improve the lives of local people.
From all of us at SUCo SA, we send our warmest congratulations to Mark Haldane on this well-deserved Markhor Award. We are truly proud of the inspiring work you and the Zambeze Delta team have done, and we celebrate the positive difference you continue to make for wildlife and the communities who share their home. Well done, Mark — this recognition is richly earned.
