Rest In Heaven, Iain Douglas-Hamilton: Renowned Elephant Conservationist Passes Away At 83

Today, we honor the life and legacy of Iain Douglas-Hamilton, one of the world’s most influential elephant conservationists. At just 23, he conducted the first in-depth scientific study of elephant social behavior in Tanzania, pioneering research that transformed global understanding of these intelligent, deeply social beings. In the 1970s, he was also the first to expose the scale of Africa’s ivory-poaching crisis, helping lead to the 1989 global ban on the ivory trade.

In 1993, Douglas-Hamilton founded Save the Elephants, revolutionizing conservation with GPS tracking, long-term population studies, and innovative human–elephant coexistence programs. His leadership helped launch the Elephant Crisis Fund and strengthened international efforts to protect vulnerable elephant populations. His work earned many of conservation’s highest honors, including the Indianapolis Prize and a CBE.

Douglas-Hamilton’s passion for elephants reached millions through his books Battle for the Elephants and Among the Elephants, as well as numerous documentaries, including The Family That Lives with Elephants, Ivory Wars, Africa’s Elephant Kingdom, The Secret Life of Elephants, This Wild Life, and A Life Among Elephants. Across media, science, and policy, he shaped how the world sees and protects elephants.

“My dream would be for human beings to come into balance with their environment, to stop destroying nature.” – Iain Douglas-Hamilton

Rest In Heaven, Iain.