South African wildlife conservationist, Wayne Lotter, died on August 16 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, after devoting his life to the conservation and protection of Africa’s wildlife.
Lotter, from Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, was killed on the way to his hotel from the airport when his taxi was stopped by another vehicle. He was the Founder of the Protected Area Management System (PAMS) foundation in Tanzania in 2009, and the former Vice President of the International Ranger Foundation and a Co-Founder of an organisation that has combated poaching in Tanzania for the past eight years.
PAMS said in a statement that the organisation was deeply saddened by the death of one of its Co-Founders and said that Lotter “deeply cared about the people and animals that populate the world”.
“Wayne believed communities were the best protectors of the continent’s animals. Through his work with PAMS he helped train thousands of village game scouts in every corner of the country. His ground-breaking work in developing an intelligence-based approach to anti-poaching helped successfully reverse the rampant rates of poaching facing Tanzania,” said the foundation.
Lotter spent his whole life trying to protect Africa’s wildlife.
The Guardian reported that he had received numerous death threats over the past eight years, following the success of his anti-poaching efforts, which saw more than 2 000 poachers and ivory traffickers arrested since 2012, with a successful 80% conviction rate.
The London-based newspaper mentioned that one gunman opened his car door and shot Lotter.
Tanzanian police have launched an investigation into Lotter’s death. No arrests have been made yet.
Two days after Lotter’s passing, Professor Jumanne Maghembe, Minister of Tourism and Natural Resources, announced that the police had arrested six people in Dar es Salaam, in connection with 28 elephant tusks.
According to The Guardian, diplomatic sources in the city mentioned that Lotter had been tracing the arrested suspects for quite some time, however it remains unclear whether the arrests were connected in any way with Lotter’s death.
Dr Jane Goodall, a British ethologist, primatologist, anthropologist and United Nations Messenger of Peace, as well as an Ambassador for the Think Green Line Foundation which supports the training of Rangers, was one of the many who paid their respects.
Goodall said in an obituary published on Facebook by the International Rangers Foundation: “There is no doubt in my mind that Wayne’s anti-poaching efforts made a big difference in the fight to save Tanzania’s elephants from the illegal ivory trade. Moreover, his courage in the face of stiff opposition and personal threats, and his determination to keep on fighting have inspired many and encouraged them also to keep fighting for wildlife.”
