Dr. Geoffrey Wahungu is Chief Conservation & Programs Officer at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where he oversees conservation programs—bringing more than two decades of research on black rhino habitat to the management of one of East Africa’s most important wildlife conservancies. An ecologist and wildlife management specialist, he has studied black rhino habitats at Ol Pejeta for more than two decades, and his career has also extended to national environmental policy: as Director General of Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority from 2012 to 2019, he represented Kenya in major international environmental agreements. He has also served in the boards of UNESCO, Kenya Forest Service (KFS), National Bio-safety Authority (NBA) and the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD).

Much of his research examines how vegetation and habitat management affect black rhinos and the ecosystems that support them. His findings at Ol Pejeta have helped shape how the conservancy manages black rhino habitats, from protecting and restoring acacia vegetation to reconsidering the use of fire and controlling the spread of invasive euclea shrubs. His research also contributed to the establishment of Ol Pejeta’s Research and Ecological Monitoring Unit and the development of protocols that now guide research across the conservancy. Beyond Ol Pejeta, he has helped establish private and community conservancies in Kenya’s Laikipia, Nakuru and Amboseli regions.

By monitoring vegetation and studying how black rhinos use different habitats, Dr. Wahungu and his team can assess changes in the landscape and determine which management approaches best maintain suitable conditions for rhinos and other wildlife. At Ol Pejeta, his long-term knowledge of the landscape helps turn ecological research into practical strategies for protecting black rhinos and conserving the habitats they depend on.