Mwami Alexis Kalinda

director, animal reserves, Congo

Mwami Alexis Kalinda is a leader in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He serves as the executive secretary for an association of all the Mwamis (a term for a traditional king), which created the network of community-based nature reserves that the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International supports. He also serves on its board of directors and is president of the Walikale community-based reserve, which consists of a large section of land that has been managed by his family for generations.