Kathmandu, May 22 The International Primatological Society has conferred the Charles Southwick Conservation Education Commitment Award 2017 to primatologist Mukesh Kumar Chalise. The award established in honour of Dr Charles Southwick’s longstanding commitment to conservation education is intended to recognise outstanding individuals living in primate habitat countries who have made significant contribution to formal and informal conservation education in their countries. The award carries a purse of 2,000 US dollars and a certificate. The Centre for Global Field Study said, “Only a few people around the world have played such a major role in promoting the conservation of non-human primates in their country and inspiring future generations of primatologists to carry on this legacy. Dr Chalise is an innovator and visionary for conservation.” It further stated, “He understands the big picture and has an innate ability to communicate the concepts and issues both to educated scholars as well as to the local people living in most remote villages of the high Himalayas. He has committed his life to primatology and the conservation of biodiversity.