MADISON, Wis. -- Baraboo conservationist Dr. George Archibald on Tuesday received a $100,000 prize for his efforts to save the whooping crane.

Archibald, of the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, has pioneered techniques instrumental in bringing several crane species back from the brink of extinction.

He was named the inaugural recipient of the Indianapolis Prize, which is the world's largest award given to an individual for his or her efforts to save one animal species.

"As a consequence of the Indianapolis Prize, I would hope that people would be encouraged to become more involved in conservation," Archibald said. "Our work really started from scratch, so anybody could start from scratch to make an impact for the good of conservation."

Archibald said he will split his prize among five crane-related initiatives worldwide, from Wisconsin to China.