The Prince of Wales helped reward the latest Tusk conservation heroes.

Winners of the 11th Tusk Conservation Awards, held Monday at The Savoy in London, tell PEOPLE exclusively how the Prince of Wales, 41, is helping shine a light on the often-dangerous world of wildlife preservation.

“The Tusk Conservation Awards paint an important picture for the many unsung heroes on the frontlines of conservation, recognizing the huge importance of their work,” says Jealous Mpofu, who won the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award. The Chief Tracker at Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe said, “It also encourages all of us in the field to continue doing this great work of conservation for painted dogs and other species at large.”

The award was given following Mpofu’s 25 years of dedication to the sub-Saharan wild dogs. He says the award will help him further “raise awareness of the plight of painted dogs, as the reality is, if we don’t do something to help them now, these beautiful animals will be lost to humankind.”