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

His work documenting poaching, paired with pioneering tracking, transformed global understanding of elephants.

Overview

  • Save the Elephants said he died Monday in Nairobi at age 83.
  • At 23, he launched the first scientific study of wild elephant social behavior in Tanzania’s Lake Manyara National Park.
  • His aerial surveys and data on ivory-driven declines helped build momentum for the 1989 international ivory trade ban.
  • He founded Save the Elephants in 1993 and advanced GPS collaring and aerial tracking that are now standard in conservation.
  • Tributes followed from conservation groups and Prince William; he is survived by his wife Oria, daughters Saba and Dudu, and six grandchildren.