LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Laban Mwangi, the head ranger for Kenya's Mountain Bongo Project, received major international recognition on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, winning the prestigious Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award at a ceremony in London. The award, presented by Prince William, honours Mwangi’s two decades of dedication to protecting the critically endangered mountain bongo, one of Africa's rarest and most elusive antelopes.

The 13th annual Tusk Conservation Awards celebrate grassroots conservation leaders from across the African continent. Mwangi was one of three laureates honoured for their significant contributions to biodiversity. The other recipients were Rahima Njaidi, founder of a community-led forest conservation network in Tanzania, and Kumara Wakjira, Director General of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, underscoring a strong showing for East African conservation efforts.

In his address, Prince William, the long-time royal patron of Tusk, lauded the winners for their leadership. “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 stated.

A Career on the Frontline

Laban Mwangi’s journey in conservation began in 2005 when he joined the newly formed Mountain Bongo Project as its first ranger. Growing up on the slopes of the Aberdares, his passion was inspired by his father's stories of the bongo. Over the past 20 years, he has risen through the ranks to lead a dedicated team of rangers who patrol the dense, high-altitude forests of the Aberdare and Maasai Mau ecosystems.

His work involves close collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to monitor bongo populations, combat illegal logging, and remove snares set by poachers. Beyond enforcement, Mwangi has been instrumental in mentoring new rangers and expanding the project's community outreach programs, which now engage over 30,000 people in conservation education and sustainable livelihood initiatives.

“I accept this award not only for myself but for the Mountain Bongo Project and for my ranger team,” Mwangi said upon receiving the honour. “Every day my colleagues patrol the Aberdare and Maasai Mau forests. I see how hard they work, and this award is for them too.”

The Fight for the Mountain Bongo

The mountain bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) is a large, strikingly-coloured forest antelope endemic to Kenya's central highlands. It is classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 100 individuals estimated to remain in the wild. This makes it one of the world's most threatened large mammals, with more individuals now living in captivity than in their natural habitat.

The species has suffered a catastrophic decline due to habitat destruction, poaching for its meat and hide, and diseases transmitted by domestic cattle. The Mountain Bongo Project was established in 2004 to prevent the species' complete extinction in the wild. Its rangers conduct vital surveillance, using camera traps and GPS tracking to gather data on the remaining fragmented populations in the Aberdares, Mount Kenya, Eburu, and Mau forests.

Implications for Kenya

Mwangi’s award places a global spotlight on Kenya's conservation challenges and successes. It validates the community-centric approach that is increasingly seen as essential for the long-term protection of wildlife. By integrating local communities into conservation efforts, projects like the Mountain Bongo Project help ensure that the people who live alongside wildlife also benefit from its protection.

The international recognition and funding that accompany the Tusk Awards will provide a significant boost to these efforts on the ground. The award serves not only as a personal honour for Laban Mwangi but as a powerful endorsement of Kenya's national conservation strategy and the tireless work of rangers across the country who operate on the frontlines of a complex and often dangerous battle to preserve the nation's natural heritage for future generations.