The continent’s wildlife heroes were celebrated at the prestigious 2022 African Conservation Awards at the African Rangers Congress in Botswana on Saturday, 17 September.
Left to Right John Jurko and Matt Lindenberg (representing Anton Mzimba), Dorcas Ntete (representing MWCT Simba Scouts), Faria Tarus (representing KWCA) and Amom Benoit IRF Africa Representative (representing Boris Harding Ndorourou). Picture: Stew Nolan
The awards are an annual celebration to honour the courageous people who are committed to protecting Africa’s natural spaces and in doing so, raise awareness of the critical and diverse work they do to ensure that our wildlife and wild places are safeguarded for generations to come.
Now in its 11th year, the awards were once again celebrated after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic at an in-person event as part of the African Ranger Congress. The event was hosted by the Game Rangers Association of Africa in Kasane, Botswana where rangers from across Africa gathered to share experiences.
Prince Albert II of Monaco, who is the Patron of the African Conservation Awards, reminded attendees of the ‘threats and dangers this selfless group of individuals face’ by referring to the assassination of Best Game Ranger Award finalist Anton Mzimba in a video message.
‘It reminds us of the importance of your profession, the risks you face on a day-to-day basis but also the determination and dangerous nature of those you confront and whom you often face alone. I applaud the fact that you are now honouring all the heroes of biodiversity beyond the rhino alone. You are the fighting vanguard of a global movement which should be promoted, encouraged, supported and prolonged by all of us.’
Each organisation and individual that has been shortlisted has shown remarkable determination to succeed when the odds have often been stacked against them and the African Conservation Awards provides the platform to ensure they get the recognition they deserve.
The Winners
The winners, selected by evaluation of the work done over the last 12 months are:
BEST FIELD RANGER
Winner: Ndorourou Boris Harding – Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park, Central African Republic.
As Head of Sector, Boris leads a team of 80 rangers and ensures tactical advice on operational deployments where he leads anti-poaching and biomonitoring activities. Until 2019, this park was subject to poachers, illegal wildlife traders and armed groups, but Boris took the lead in relaunching operational activities in the park, resulting in an increase in wildlife.
To date, Boris’s anti-poaching operations deterred 147 infringers from poaching and confiscated 41 hunting weapons. He has also reached 258 transhumance pastoralists through awareness-raising activities and helped divert 23,000 heads of livestock out of the national park.
Boris has been committed to the conservation mission since 2008 and works alongside the Wildlife Conservation Society team.
1st runner-up: KITITCHA Jacques, Pendjari National Park, Benin
2nd runner-up: KILOLO MAKWAYA Eric, Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo
BEST GAME RANGER
Winner: Anton Mzimba (posthumous) – Head of Ranger Services, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, South Africa.
Read: A warrior has fallen – game ranger shot dead in Greater Kruger
Anton began his career at Timbavati Private Nature Reserve as a general worker in the mid 90s where he fixed roads, built gabions, maintained fences and completed the daily tasks required of a general labourer. He always strived to be a ranger and over the next 25 years, Anton rose through the ranks, progressing from ranger to Corporal, Sergeant, and finally becoming Head of Ranger Services.
Anton Mzimba
Besides the numerous accolades and press, Anton’s greatest gift was his ability to lead and inspire the people from the local communities that border Kruger National Park. Anton led by example, working to change the stigma that conservation was a wealthy minority’s privilege, and instead a birthright to all of humanity, from all backgrounds, races and cultures. He believed in developing his team and wanted both local men and women to have the opportunity to climb the ranks into leadership roles.
On 26th July 2022, Anton was assassinated outside his home by three gunmen alleged to be linked to poaching syndicates, paying the ultimate sacrifice for being a ranger and a leader on the front lines of the rhino poaching war.
1st runner-up (tied): Colin Rowles, Warden, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, South Africa
1st runner-up (tied): Leonardo Gungalo, Field Ranger Support Manager, Oceans Without Borders, Mozambique
BEST CONSERVATION TEAM
Winner: Simba Community Wildlife Scouts – Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, Kenya.
Simba Scouts are a conservation team working within Kuku Group Ranch in southeastern Kenya. They include a dedicated team of 18 Maasai warriors (Moran’s), who day in and day out monitor GPS collared lions and other wildlife species which is a very significant measure for mitigating human-wildlife conflict within the local Maasai communities.
Another impact of the Simba Scouts has been the influence of the community in embracing conservation. Before becoming Simba Scouts, some members of the team were renowned warriors who led in lion hunts. However, they have become the lion guardians in the ecosystem, which is a testament to their good work.
1st runner-up: Mount Kenya Trust, Kenya
2nd runner-up: Nigeria National Park Service Management Team, Nigeria
BEST CONSERVATION SUPPORTER
Winner: Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association, Kenya
In the last four decades, Kenya has lost more than 68% of its wildlife. Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA) was established to address this issue. KWCA has mobilised a membership of 174 mainly community conservancies to adopt a holistic approach to addressing the biodiversity crisis and tackling the complex problem of habitat loss.
Today the network of over 215 conservancies in the country is a celebrated success as the organisation marks its 10-year anniversary. The network of conservancies has more than doubled the area under conservation from 8% of the country’s landmass to 20% (addition of 7.2 million ha of conserved land) today mainly due to the enabling policy environment and incentives negotiated through KWCA.
1st runner-up: Britius Munkombwe, Community Outreach Manager, Game Rangers International, Zambia
2nd runner-up: BirdLife South Africa Landscape Conservation Programme, South Africa
ALSO READ: Government closes some fishing areas around penguin colonies
