Cyril Pélissier is a senior expert with more than 20 years' experience in biodiversity conservation and protected area management. Amongst other long-term assignments, he has worked as a technical advisor to several administrations in charge of protected areas and wildlife management in Central Africa (Central African Republic, Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo), in positions supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). He has also carried out numerous and wide-ranging studies, project formulations and evaluations projects, as an expert for various organizations (IUCN, WWF, UNDP, GEF, GIZ, etc.) across Africa. Over the past three years, Cyril has successfully led a new African Parks initiative in south-eastern Chad, the European Union-funded Aouk project, aimed at setting up an early warning system against transboundary poaching and developing a conservation strategy for this landscape connecting the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem (GZE) to National Parks in North-Eastern Central African Republic. Cyril joined the GZE team in August 2023 as Park Manager for the three protected areas encompassed (Zakouma National Park, Siniaka-Minia Wildlife Reserve and Bahr Salamat Wildlife Reserve).