Liberia: Meet the Woman on the Frontline of Conservation in Liberia

Feb 2, 2024 | Tina S. Mehnpaine
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31-year-old Grace Zansi was obsessed with the rampant butchering of wildlife in her hometown, Beo Bongarplay, Nimba County.

“I felt bad when I saw people killing and eating wildlife,” she recalled.

Zansi became a ranger as a result of this uncontrolled act, which inspired her to seek a degree in General Forestry from Nimba University to learn more about wildlife protection, biodiversity, and people.

“Besides theoretical knowledge, I have also been opportune to benefit from a lot of training; theoretical, practical, and physical, which has also sharpened my skill as a ranger. Presently, I am pursuing a BSC degree in Nature Resources Management at Cuttington University, in Suakoko Bong County.”

“The understanding I got from school gave me an added love for nature. All the above increased my desire to become a ranger.”

Liberia hosts half of the remaining rainforest in West Africa. Rare species such as Pygmy Hippos, Western Chimpanzees, monkeys, and forest elephants live in the forest.   

In 2010, Liberia had 9.16 million hectares of natural forest, extending over 97 percent of its land area. In 2022 alone, Liberia lost 150,000 hectares of natural forest, according to Global Forest Watch. This is equivalent to more than five times the size of Monrovia.  

Poor regulations and lack of enforcement from the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are posing serious threats to these species.