Wiro was born and raised in rural northern Ghana, where interacting closely with nature is an essential part of life. He has always been passionate about wildlife and animal welfare, and he developed an interest in birds at a very young age. His first experience of wildlife management in a protected area was in 2011, when he visited Mole National Park during a school trip. The sight of the many wildlife species, from charismatic ones such as the African Savanna Elephant to the smaller colourful birds, was very exciting, and he wished the experience would never end. The prospects of what biodiversity conservation could achieve made him determined to understand the concept of conservation better, and to be part of it. This led him to do a BSc at the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Management of the University for Development Studies in Ghana, where he conducted research on the pet trade in birds in his hometown for his dissertation. After his BSc, he joined the same department as a research and teaching assistant where he was involved in several activities and experiences, including fieldwork, report writing, local community engagement and organising tutorials for several courses.

In 2022, Wiro joined the Honey-Hunting Research Network initiated by the African Honeyguides’ Research Group. He conducted a pilot survey on honey-hunting and beekeeping communities in northern Ghana. For his MSc thesis, he will focus on further surveying and describing the remaining honey-hunting cultures in Ghana, and he will investigate the relationship people have with honeyguides.

Thesis: Partnership, companion or enemy: how and why do people differ in their relationship with honeyguides in northern Ghana (Supervisors: Claire Spottiswoode, Jessica van der Wal, Timothy Khan Aikins).