Charudutt Mishra, India director of the International Snow Leopard Trust, is among three conservationists this year to be honoured with the Netherlands' Golden Ark Award.

Mishra was awarded for his project on the protection of snow leopard in the Himalayas based on "the understanding of and for (the interests of) the local population."

The winners -- Patricia Medici (Brazil) and Michiel Hotte (the Netherlands) being the other two -- were selected by an international jury from a total of 69 candidates from 40 countries.

The awards carry, among other things, cash amount of 50,000 Euros each.

While Medici was awarded for her "successful efforts in saving the Brazilian lowland tapir", Hotte was given the honour for the "protection of the Amur leopard -- the rarest large feline species", a statement said.

Mishra was given the Whitley Gold Award in 2005 for "successfully reducing the retaliatory killings of snow leopards by implementing an insurance scheme among communities whose livestock suffered their predation."

He was also involved in a post-conflict wildlife assessment in Afghanistan on behalf of the UN.

The Order of the Golden Ark was instituted by Holland's Prince Bernard. The award was renamed Golden Ark Award this year.

The hosts, Burger Zoo in Arnhem in Netherlands, will sponsor the award for the next 10 years.