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Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Pioneering Elephant Conservationist, Dies at 83

His pioneering methods in tracking reshaped conservation practice worldwide.

Overview

  • Save the Elephants said he died in Nairobi late Monday at the age of 83.
  • His aerial monitoring in the 1980s quantified poaching losses and helped build momentum for the 1989 global ivory trade ban.
  • He founded Save the Elephants in 1993, advancing GPS collars and aerial surveys that are now standard in wildlife conservation.
  • Save the Elephants CEO Frank Pope praised his global impact and his courage, determination and scientific rigor.
  • He worked across Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, received an OBE in 1992 and a CBE in 2015, and at times flew with flak jackets to avoid poachers’ bullets.