Conservationist Jackson Kabuyaya honored for his commitment to Grauer’s gorillas

Jackson Kabuyaya Mbeke, national director of the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE), received the 2026 Carole Noon Award from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. Presented on October 30 after an international workshop on leadership in animal sanctuary management, the award recognizes his work protecting and rehabilitating Grauer’s gorillas in Lubero Territory, North Kivu. Based in the Batangi chieftaincy, GRACE has spent nearly two decades caring for and rehabilitating orphaned gorillas recovered after poaching. Kabuyaya praised the support of the center’s team and local communities, saying the award could boost the center’s credibility and help attract funding for its projects.