Kenyan ranger feted in London amid growing threat to wildlife

Kenya’s wildlife remains under pressure. Years of habitat loss, poaching, drought, forest degradation and human activity have pushed several species to close to extinction.

Conservation experts warn that without stronger protection Kenya may lose some of its rarest animals.

Species such as the black rhino, the hirola antelope and the mountain bongo remain dangerously low in number.

Land competition, shrinking forests, illegal hunting and the effects of climate change have all deepened the crisis facing wildlife across the country.

Among these rare species at greatest risk is the mountain bongo. It is one of the world’s largest forest antelopes with a reddish coat marked with white vertical stripes.

It belongs to the antelope family and is found only in Kenya’s highland forests, especially in the Aberdare and the Maasai Mau Forest.

The bongo is nocturnal and extremely shy. Rangers often rely on fresh footprints, dung, motion sensors and camera traps rather than direct sightings.

A single camera image is enough to confirm activity in an area because the population is so small.

Bongos are important to the health of the forest ecosystem. They help maintain vegetation balance and support seed dispersal. Conservation work around the species has also supported local communities.

The Mountain Bongo Project has introduced water harvesting tanks, beekeeping, goat farming and school wildlife clubs that teach children about nature. These efforts reduce forest pressure and build community support for conservation.

This week Kenya’s work to protect the species received international recognition when Laban Mwangi, Head Ranger at the Mountain Bongo Project, was honoured in London with the 2025 Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award.

He received the award from Prince William during the 13th annual Tusk Conservation Awards held in partnership with Ninety One.

Mwangi joined the project in 2005 at the age of 24. His passion for the bongo began in childhood. “When I was young I used to hear my dad telling stories of bongo,” he said. “That thing inspired me to be a conservationist.”

His father had once hunted bongos when hunting was still legal, but Mwangi chose the path of protection because the species had already become endangered.

“Animals like bongo are endangered. If care is not taken about them, they will come to an extinct,” he said.

The early years of bongo patrols had little technology. “We used only GPS to mark the location of where we got the bongo,” Mwangi said. Rangers collected dung samples, preserved them in test tubes and sent them for DNA analysis. When DNA confirmed they had found bongo dung, it gave them hope.

Today the Mountain Bongo Project uses better tools. “Now we have good images of the animals and we can identify different individual animals,” Mwangi said.

“We can even see the breeding.” Seven camera traps are placed across the Aberdare Forest and checked every two weeks. Ultra LED lights help capture clear night images.

Motion sensors provide real-time information on animal movement.

Josephat Korage, a ranger and member of the Aberdare and Mount Kenya Bongo Conservancy, said the cameras show how families of bongos move.

“Sometimes you find a mother with young ones,” he said. “One area can have 14 and another can have six. This tells us where to strengthen protection.”

The work remains dangerous. Mwangi once sustained a deep hand injury after armed poachers ambushed them in the Mau Forest.

“They shot us and I sustained some injuries,” he said. He and his team have also faced elephants and buffalo on steep forest slopes. Still, their day begins at 5.30 am each morning, followed by roll call, prayer, patrols and long walks across rugged forest terrain.

They remove snares, inspect camera traps and work with Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service to stop illegal forest activity.

Oscar Dyer, Director of Operations at the Mountain Bongo Project, praised Mwangi’s leadership. “Since I have started with Laban, he’s shown he’s been a really, really good leader,” he said. “He’s corporal.”

Dyer said the award will improve their work. “It will allow us to have more equipment in the field. We will be able to monitor the bongo better and evaluate them.”

He also thanked partners supporting their growth. “I’d just like to say a big thank you to the Mara Elephant Project. They are who is incubating us at the moment. Without the Mara Elephant Project, our organisational structure and governance, we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing at the moment, both in the Maasai Mau and the Aberdares,” he said.

Dyer added that the bongo is an umbrella species in the water tower forests of Aberdare and Maasai Mau.

“By protecting the Mountain Bongo, we’re protecting Jackson’s mongoose, yellow-backed duiker and giant pangolin. These are all critically endangered animals,” he said.

“By Laban winning this award, it shines a light on what we’re doing and in turn protects many, many more animals.”

During the ceremony Prince William said: “Tonight is a reminder that our planet continues to face serious environmental concerns. We must continue our efforts to protect nature and highlight the critical role that biodiversity plays in supporting all life on Earth. It is so often the indigenous communities and local conservation leaders who provide the practical solutions to how we can best sustain our precious natural landscapes and vital biodiversity.”

He added that the winners show what can be achieved. “Laban, Rahima and Kumara are wonderful examples of what can be achieved locally, regionally and at the national level. Humanity thrives when nature is given the space to provide us with the clean air, water and food that we all require. That is why the insight and expertise of the Tusk award winners should inspire us to drive change.”

Mwangi said the award belongs to the entire ranger team. “I accept this award not only for myself but for the Mountain Bongo Project, the organisation I work for, and for my ranger team,” he said.

“Every day my colleagues patrol the Aberdare and Maasai Mau forests. They walk long distances, often in hard conditions, to look after the last wild mountain bongos.”

The Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award recognises an individual who works daily in the field to protect African wildlife.

It highlights the bravery and dedication of rangers who protect fragile ecosystems, often with limited resources and under personal risk.

The award brings international attention to frontline conservation work and strengthens support for the organisations behind it. Winners’ organisations receive funding to enhance their programmes and tools.

Africa holds one-quarter of the world’s biodiversity, nine per cent of global renewable freshwater and 20 per cent of the world’s tropical rainforest.

The continent also contains nearly nine thousand protected areas. Conservationists must now confront climate impacts, shrinking habitats and pressure on land. The Tusk Conservation Awards honour leaders who are addressing these challenges with innovation, resilience and local leadership.

Ethiopia’s Kumara Wakjira received the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa for more than 30 years of leadership in national conservation, reviving endangered species and strengthening wildlife governance.

Tanzania’s Rahima Njaidi received the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa for empowering forest communities, securing land rights and reducing deforestation across more than 500 villages.

Their organisations, together with the Mountain Bongo Project, will receive multi-year funding to expand their work.

Nick Bubb, CEO of Tusk, said, “Africa is a key global asset for animal, plant and marine biodiversity and for 35 years Tusk has supported vital conservation initiatives across the continent.

The Tusk Conservation Awards celebrate the remarkable, courageous and committed individuals who safeguard Africa’s natural heritage and demonstrate the power of locally led conservation.”

Hendrik du Toit, Chief Executive of Ninety One, added, “Africa’s biodiversity is one of the world’s greatest assets.

Protecting it is fundamental to our collective future. The Tusk Conservation Awards shine a light on the remarkable individuals who turn conviction into action.”

The award serves as recognition but also as a reminder of the urgent work ahead. Each camera image, footprint and dung sample continues to carry a message for Mwangi and his team. The species is still here and with stronger support it may survive for generations to come.