NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — British-born zoologist Iain Douglas-Hamilton has died at age 83, his group Save the Elephants said in a statement.
Douglas Hamilton is known for decades of conservation work, including pioneering trackers and collars to protect elephants from poaching.
He died in Kenya on Monday, a statement on Tuesday said.
“Ian was instrumental in exposing the ivory poaching crisis, documenting the eradication of more than half of Africa’s elephants within a decade, leading to the important intergovernmental decision in 1989 to ban the international ivory trade,” the statement said.
“Whether he was sitting quietly among the elephants, poring over maps of their movements, or hovering over the herds in his beloved airplane, there was a twinkle in his eye. He never lost his curiosity about what was going on in the mind of one of the most interesting creatures on our planet,” said Frank Pope, the organization’s chief executive.
The Uganda Conservation Foundation praises Douglas Hamilton for “generously sharing his knowledge and expertise with the conservation community, inspiring action and collaboration. We honor his life of not only protecting elephants, but empowering the people who protect them.”
Douglas Hamilton is survived by his wife Oriah, two daughters and six grandchildren.
