Visual Storyteller for Conservation in Africa

National Geographic Explorer |iLCP Emerging League Fellow | NEWF Fellow

Anthony Ochieng Onyango is a Kenyan Conservation Photographer, Filmmaker, Wildlife Ecologist, and National Geographic Explorer whose work focuses on using visual storytelling to drive conservation awareness and behavior change across Africa.

Trained as a wildlife ecologist, Ochieng integrates scientific research with photography and film to communicate complex environmental issues to global and local audiences. His work spans both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on human–wildlife coexistence, community-led conservation, and ocean conservation in Africa.

Ochieng is known for documenting conservation stories at the intersection of ecology, culture, and people, including human–elephant interactions in Kenya, marine biodiversity and sharks in African waters, and grassroots conservation initiatives led by local communities. His approach combines field research, long-form storytelling, and educational impact.

He is the founder of the TonyWild Foundation, established in 2016, a conservation organization dedicated to inspiring environmental stewardship among young people through visual ecological literacy, environmental education programs, and conservation media. Through the foundation, Ochieng develops photography- and film-based initiatives that promote sustainable natural resource management and positive behavior change.

As an underwater photographer and diver, Ochieng also focuses on reshaping African narratives around the ocean, addressing fear-based perceptions of marine life and highlighting the ecological importance of sharks, coral reefs, and coastal ecosystems.

His work has been featured and supported by international conservation and media organizations, and he collaborates with NGOs, research institutions, educators, and Indigenous and local communities across Africa. In addition to storytelling, he contributes to conservation monitoring, evaluation, and research initiatives.

Anthony Ochieng’s work centers on a core mission: to inspire conservation action by changing how people see and relate to nature.

ANTHONY OCHIENG ONYANGO CV