As John Tanui was being laid to rest in Kenya’s Rift Valley on March 25, stories and praise poured in for a man people would have loved to have lived longer. Tanui served as a security communications officer at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya from 1995 to 2024. He helped transform the operations of the anti-poaching and ranger teams, the conservancy stated in an impact report published in 2017. He also had an impressive knowledge of wildlife and birds and often served as a guide to Lewa’s guests. Despite decades of fieldwork, Tanui never lost his sense of wonder for wildlife. One evening, he and a visitor watched a group of lions climbing around on a fallen tree. Tanui’s awe at the lions’ agility captured the attention of the visitor, Jes Lefcourt, director of the conservation NGO EarthRanger. “I’ve never seen him as excited as when watching the lions. That’s what true love and dedication looks like,” Lefcourt said in a statement he shared after Tanui’s death from a blood clot complication. Tanui met and briefed many visitors, including actors, politicians and icons like David Attenborough, an English broadcaster, author and naturalist. Commonly referred to as “Tango,” Tanui spent three decades protecting wildlife at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, but his  conservation work extended beyond Kenya, as he collaborated with international NGOs including EarthRanger and Tusk. The knowledge he gathered placed him at the intersection of tradition and innovation, as he helped to bring modern tools into ranger operations. According to…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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