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Save the Elephants Founder Iain Douglas-Hamilton Dies at 83

His data-driven fieldwork introduced tools that shaped modern protection, building momentum for the 1989 ivory trade ban.

Overview

  • Save the Elephants said Douglas-Hamilton died on December 8 in Nairobi at age 83.
  • He founded Save the Elephants in 1993 and helped make GPS tracking, radio-collaring and aerial surveys standard conservation practice.
  • His research in the 1970s and 1980s documented catastrophic poaching, contributing to the 1989 international ban on the ivory trade and later domestic market closures.
  • At 23 he launched what is described as the first scientific study of wild elephant social behavior at Lake Manyara in Tanzania, laying the groundwork for modern elephant science.
  • Tributes poured in from conservation groups and Prince William, while the charity noted he is survived by his wife Oria, two daughters and six grandchildren.