Paula Kahumbu wata mai rajin kare namun daji ce kuma Babbar Jami’ar kula da namun daji. An san ta sosai a matsayin mai fafutukar giwaye da namun daji, da ke jagorantar kamfen din yakin giwayen, wanda aka fara a shekara ta 2014 tare da Uwargidan Shugaban Kenya Margaret Kenyatta. An haifi Kahumbu a ranar 25 ga watan Yuni, na shekara ta 1966 kuma ya girma a Nairobi, Kenya, kuma a can ya yi makarantar firamare da sakandare a Loreto Convent Msongari. Shahararren masanin kiyaye muhalli Richard Leakey ne ya fara ba ta jagoranci. An ba ta Makarantar Kwalejin Kwalejin Kenya don nazarin Ilimin Lafiya da Ilimin Halitta a Jami'ar Bristol. Sannan ta sami digiri na biyu a Jami'ar Florida a cikin Kimiyyar Dabbobi da Range Science a shekara ta 1992. Karatunta na farko da aikin da take yi ya ta'allaka ne kan na birrai, inda ta rubuta karatuttukan digirinta na biyu a kan birai na Tana River Primate National Reserve. Tsakanin makarantar gaba da digiri na biyu, Kahumbu ya koma Kenya don aiki da Hukumar Kula da Dabbobin daji ta Kenya.