Benson Kanyembo - Law Enforcement Advisor, Conservation South Luangwa, Zambia

Mr. Benson Kanyembo is Law Enforcement Advisor, Conservation South Luangwa ( https://cslzambia.org/ ), an organization which works in partnership with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) on the frontline of wildlife conservation and human-wildlife coexistence in the South Luangwa Valley. The organization is focused on protecting the 1,400,000 hectares of largely intact wilderness in eastern Zambia that make up the South Luangwa National Park and the surrounding Upper and Lower Lupande game management areas.

The Luangwa Valley is home to over 60 species of mammals and 450 species of birds. Species include the unique Crawshay’s zebra, Cookson’s wildebeest, and a geographically isolated population of Luangwa giraffe (G. t. thornicrofti), a subspecies of Masai giraffe. The Valley is also known for its high densities of lion, leopard and wild dog, and it remains a stronghold for elephants in Zambia.

Born in Kitwe, the son of a policeman, Mr. Kanyembo grew up with an understanding of the importance of good law enforcement and has devoted over 20 years of his life to protecting Zambia’s wildlife for future generations, including his own four daughters.

In 1994, Mr. Kanyembo started his career in wildlife enforcement as a village scout in North Luangwa. In 2000, after the formation of ZAWA (Zambian Wildlife Authority) he became a community scout before rising to the rank of Senior Wildlife Police Officer and was in charge of the training of all scouts and transferred to South Luangwa in 2008.

In 2009, Mr. Kanyembo joined CSL as Operations Manager, and during the restructuring in 2018 was promoted to Law Enforcement Advisor. He leads all CSL anti-poaching law enforcement and wildlife rescue operations either in the field or from his control room in collaboration with DNPW. He has facilitated the growth and development of the anti-poaching unit from 30 to 92 scouts.

In 2019, Mr. Kanyembo's commitment to conservation in Africa was recognized on the global stage, when he was awarded the TUSK Wildlife Ranger Award in London by Tusk’s Royal Patron HRH The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William of Wales.