In Tribute to Iain Douglas-Hamilton: A Conservation Legend Passes Away at 83

Wed Dec 10 2025 08:58:37 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, renowned elephant conservationist and founder of Save the Elephants, has died in Nairobi at the age of 83. His pioneering work and research profoundly changed the understanding of elephant conservation and behavior.

The world mourns the loss of Iain Douglas-Hamilton, a key figure in elephant conservation who passed away recently at age 83. His groundbreaking research and advocacy against ivory poaching significantly shaped wildlife conservation efforts, earning accolades from figures like Prince William and Jane Goodall. Douglas-Hamilton's legacy continues through his charity, Save the Elephants, which strives for human-elephant coexistence.

The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to pioneering elephant conservationist Iain Douglas-Hamilton, who died aged 83 at his home in Nairobi on Monday.

Douglas-Hamilton spent his life studying and campaigning to protect African elephants, becoming a world-leading expert on their behaviour in the wild.

His groundbreaking research exposed the devastating effects of poaching - often at great risk to his own safety - and was instrumental in the banning of the international ivory trade.

Prince William praised the zoologist as a man who dedicated his life to conservation and whose life's work leaves lasting impact on our appreciation for, and understanding of, elephants.

The memories of spending time in Africa with him will remain with me forever, added Prince William, who is a royal patron for the African wildlife conservation charity, Tusk, of which Douglas-Hamilton was an ambassador.

The world has lost a true conservation legend today, but his extraordinary legacy will continue, the charity's founder Charles Mayhew said in a statement.

Born in 1942 to an aristocratic British family in Dorset, England, Douglas-Hamilton studied biology and zoology in Scotland and Oxford before moving to Tanzania to research elephant social behaviour.

It was there at Lake Manyara National Park that he began documenting every elephant he encountered, eventually becoming so familiar with the herds he could recognise them by the unique shapes of their ears and wrinkles on their skin.

Friend and fellow conservationist Jane Goodall, who died in October, featured in a documentary about his work, stating he had shown the world that elephants are capable of feeling just like humans.

Douglas-Hamilton established Save the Elephants in 1993, a charity dedicated to safeguarding the animals and deepening human understanding of their behaviour.

Despite facing significant risks, including being charged by elephants and shot at by poachers, Douglas-Hamilton's advocacy for elephants never wavered. His work raised awareness about the ivory poaching crisis, and he campaigned for an international ban on the ivory trade.

Iain Douglas-Hamilton leaves behind a legacy of tireless commitment to wildlife conservation and is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.

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