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Jordi Sabater Pi has been awarded the Esteve Bassols Prize “Senyor de Barcelona”

By 27 de November de 2006November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 27.11.2006

Jordi Sabater Pi has been awarded the Esteve Bassols Prize “Senyor de Barcelona”

Jordi Sabater Pi, Emeritus professor at the Universitat de Barcelona has been awarded the 20th Esteve Bassols Prize "Senyor de Barcelona" for his contribution to the promotion of the city through his work, image and social prestige. Given by the Associació Catalana de Comunicació i Relacions Públiques and the Fundació per al Foment de la Comunicació – Àgora, the prize was presented on 24 November in an act held in the Palau de la Música Catalana.


The ethologist Sabater Pi is considered a world authority on the study of primates and amphibians in their natural habitats. His research, developed in Equatorial Guinea, in particular, between 1940 and 1969, was pioneering in the study of gorilla and chimpanzee behaviour; in the discovery of animal species such as the goliath frog and the honey guide and the ethnographical study of the Fang tribe. In addition, Sabater was responsible for bringing the albino gorilla Snowflake to Barcelona 40 years ago, an animal that was an emblematic symbol of the city for many years. The scientist has given a warning of the serious current situation of the dense African jungle, which has lost 80% of its area in the last 80 years because of man.

The scientific, graphic and dissemination work performed by Sabater, a skilled drawer and illustrator, can be appreciated in the , housed by the Parc Científic de Barcelona. This collection comprises books and journals linked to etiology and also a set of drawings and water colours. While the collection is of obvious interest to scientists, whatever their specialist field, and students of anthropology, ethology and history, there is also much to interest the general public. The collection also contains his professional correspondence and objects illustrative of the culture and habits of the peoples and animals of the African continent.

Jordi Sabater Pi is also a professor Honoris Causa of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Universitat Autònoma de Madrid. He is the holder of the following prizes, among others, the Catalan Foundation for Research prize, the Gold Medal for Scientific Merit from the Barcelona City Council and the Narcís Monturiol Prize.