On his part, Julius Maluki Mwandai, senior assistant director and head of investigations for the Kenya Wildlife Service, was honoured for mentoring thousands of wildlife law enforcement officers in Kenya and across Africa.
For decades, Julius has worked to transform the KWS paramilitary school into a distinguished regional wildlife law enforcement training institution and demonstrating exemplary leadership in dramatically reducing rhino and elephant poaching in Kenya.
Elephant poaching numbers in the country decreased from 384 in 2012 to 40 in 2018, and rhino poaching numbers decreased from 30 to four during the same period.
In addition, nearly 10,000 wildlife criminals were arrested.
Speaking during the convention while presenting the awards, DJ Schubert, wildlife biologist for Animal Welfare Institute said:
“The world’s wildlife are under threat like never before from criminal syndicates, poachers and others who don’t hesitate to kill and capture wildlife out of greed and callousness, without consideration for the harm they cause to ecological function and biodiversity,” explained Schubert.
“Anyone who cherishes our wildlife heritage owes a debt of gratitude to those honoured here today.”
The award is named after the late chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Law Enforcement.
Bavin substantially elevated the fight against wildlife crime in the United States and internationally, pioneering the use of covert investigations and sting operations to expose illegal wildlife trade and advocating for the use of forensic science to identify and prosecute wildlife criminals.
