Benson Lengalen

African Wild Dog Researcher
Samburu Heartland, Kenya

 

Long days in the field, rough terrain, and thorny acacia trees won’t stop Benson Lengalen from following those wild dogs. Benson is a Kenyan who grew up in the wild Samburu country and appreciated wildlife from an early age.

Starting as a research assistant for the Samburu-Laikipia Wild Dog Project, Benson is now earning his master’s degree and will head AWF’s Wild Dog research. Benson has a unique ability to include local communities in wild dog conservation, helping them see that wild dogs are more of an asset than a hindrance.

This has not only created new employment opportunities but has also opened avenues of communication, allowing conservationists to get more reliable information about the wild dogs and when they come into conflict with people’s livestock.

Benson’s ultimate goal is to foster recovery of the wild dog population without an associated increase in human-wildlife conflict.

• Learn about Benson's wild dog research and conservation.
• Learn more about African wild dogs - how they hunt, where they live, and why they're threatened.
• Support African wild dog conservation now.