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Scientist's discovery threatened by wildfire sparks conservation effort
Iroro Tanshi, a Nigerian ecologist, has been awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work protecting endangered bats in Nigeria's Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary after witnessing a devastating wildfire firsthand.
Rare bat rediscovery overshadowed by crisis
Tanshi rediscovered the short-tailed roundleaf bat in 2021, a species unseen for nearly five decades. The moment, she said, should have been celebrated-but instead, she faced a dire situation: wildfires ravaging the sanctuary.
Speaking to the BBC Focus on Africa podcast, she described the fires as a "serious situation" that threatened both the bats and local communities. The blaze that ignited her campaign, she suspects, was started by a farmer clearing land near the forest.
"That fire burned for about three weeks until the rain came. There was nothing people could do-we just kept watching it every day."
Iroro Tanshi, ecologist
Community-led fire brigades become key to protection
Tanshi, now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington, identified human-caused wildfires as a major threat to the bats. To combat the issue, she launched a community-driven campaign to prevent fires in the 24,700-acre sanctuary.
The initiative has successfully stopped severe wildfires from spreading in the area between 2022 and May 2025, according to the Goldman Environmental Prize organization.
"People work with us because they just want to deal with the problem of wildfires on their farms as well," Tanshi explained, highlighting how the campaign addressed both conservation and local needs.
Changing perceptions of bats in Nigeria
In Nigeria, bats are often feared and associated with witchcraft. To shift these views, Tanshi and her team engaged communities through education, using media and focusing on children.
"We don't shy away from those conversations," she said, emphasizing the ecological importance of bats, such as seed dispersal and pollination.
"Your shea butter-that a lot of people use, either raw or in cosmetic products around the world-is because of bats, which disperse the seeds of the tree. They play so many critical roles, it's almost impossible to ignore them."
Iroro Tanshi
Historic win for all-female group of environmentalists
Tanshi is one of six winners of the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize, marking the first time in the award's 37-year history that all recipients are women. She called the recognition an "incredible honor" and a sign of her work's global relevance.
