Nairobi — Laban Mwangi, the head ranger of Kenya's Mountain Bongo Project, was recognized Wednesday night at the 13th annual Tusk Conservation Awards in London for his two decades of work protecting one of Africa's rarest antelopes and the forests on which it depends.
Mwangi was among three frontline conservationists honored by Prince William at the ceremony, which celebrates local leaders tackling biodiversity loss across Africa.
The other laureates included Kumara Wakjira, Director General of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservancies Association, and Rahima Njaidi, founder of MJUMITA in Tanzania.
Prince William praised the winners as exemplars of local, regional, and national conservation leadership.
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"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 said.
Mwangi received the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award for his leadership in protecting the critically endangered mountain bongo in the Aberdare and Maasai Mau forests.
Joining the Mountain Bongo Project as its first ranger in 2005, Mwangi has risen to lead a team that works closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service, mentoring new rangers and expanding community conservation programs reaching over 30,000 people.
His composure during a violent poacher ambush, credited with saving lives, cemented his reputation as a principled field leader.
"I accept this award not only for myself but for the Mountain Bongo Project and for my ranger team. Every day my colleagues patrol the Aberdare and Maasai Mau forests. I see how hard they work, and this award is for them too," Mwangi said.
The Tusk Awards, organized by the U.K.-based charity Tusk in partnership with Ninety-One, have recognized 57 conservation leaders from more than 20 African countries since 2013.
Funding from the awards supports the winners' organizations, including £50,000 for the Wildlife Ranger Award, £75,000 for the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa, and £100,000 over three years for the Prince William Award.
Nick Bubb, CEO of Tusk, said the 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, founder of Ninety-One, emphasized that "Africa's biodiversity is one of the world's greatest assets" and protecting it is fundamental for the global future.
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The awards aim to spotlight conservationists working in often remote and challenging conditions, drawing international recognition to efforts that protect forests, endangered species, and local communities.
