Over the years, he has served with the Kenya Wildlife Service in Tsavo, Amboseli, Meru, the Maasai Mara and Marsabit, gaining extensive experience in wildlife protection and security operations.
A Kenyan ranger whose three-decade career has seen him confront dangerous wildlife encounters, lose colleagues in the line of duty and lead frontline conservation efforts has won this year’s Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award.
Daniel Yiankere, a security manager at Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia County, was selected for the prestigious award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to wildlife protection and his efforts to build stronger partnerships between conservation teams and local communities.
The award was presented to him two nights ago in London by Prince William, the Prince of Wales and Royal Patron of the Tusk conservation organisation.
A brief biography of Yiankere shared by the Loisaba Conservancy shows his conservation journey began in childhood, when he grew up near the Maasai Mara, helping his family look after their goats.
An encounter with a lion sparked his fascination with wildlife, while a chance meeting with a ranger as a young man inspired him to pursue the profession.
After being selected from about 300 applicants, he began ranger training in 1992, embarking on a career that would take him to some of Kenya’s most prominent wildlife conservation areas.
