Michael Lenaimado - Poachers, Politics & The Battle for Survival.

Poaching networks, shrinking habitats, foreign market demand and political neglect are reshaping conservation across the region. And rangers are paying the highest price. In this episode of Panel 54, veteran ranger Michael Lenaimado joins Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh to break down what’s really happening on the front lines. He exposes how organised poaching networks operate, why demand in China for rhino horn and pangolin scales continues to drive killings, and how weak policy and blocked wildlife corridors are pushing entire ecosystems to the brink. Michael also reveals the human cost: armed confrontations, poor equipment, low pay, no insurance, and communities losing crops, livestock and livelihoods with little compensation. This is a story about survival, sovereignty and the people carrying the weight of conservation — told by a ranger who has lived it. Lagos to Lamu. Cape Town to Cairo. A global perspective through an African lens.   📩 Let’s talk: ⁠[email protected] ⁠ Subscribe: ⁠https://linktr.ee/panel54pod ⁠ 🎙 Recorded in Nairobi, Kenya 🎧 Produced by Commex Africa and E & C Talent