I received this a short while ago...

Leading elephant conservationist shot dead in Tanzania

Wayne Lotter had received numerous death threats while battling international ivory-trafficking networks

Thursday 17 August 2017 12.56 EDT


The head of an animal conservation NGO who had received numerous death threats has been shot and killed by an unknown gunman in Tanzania.

Wayne Lotter, 51, was shot on Wednesday evening in the Masaki district of the city of Dar es Salaam. The wildlife conservationist was being driven from the airport to his hotel when his taxi was stopped by another vehicle. Two men, one armed with a gun opened his car door and shot him.

Lotter was a director and co-founder of the PAMS Foundation, an NGO that provides conservation and anti-poaching support to communities and governments in Africa. Since starting the organisation in Tanzania in 2009, he had received numerous death threats relating to his work.
Police in Tanzania have launched an investigation into his death.

The PAMS Foundation funded and supported Tanzania’s elite anti-poaching National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit (NTSCIU) which was responsible for arrests of major ivory traffickers including Yang Feng Glan, the so-called “Queen of Ivory” and several other notorious elephant poachers. Since 2012, the unit has arrested more than 2,000 poachers and ivory traffickers and has a conviction rate of 80%. The NTSCIU was recently featured in the Netflix documentary The Ivory Game. In a previous interview, Lotter said he believed its work had helped to reduce poaching rates in Tanzania by at least 50%.

The latest elephant census data suggests that elephant populations fell by 30% in Africa between 2007 and 2014. Tanzania experienced one of the biggest declines in elephant numbers, where the census documented a 60% decrease in the population.

Lotter rarely took credit for PAMS’ success in helping reduce poaching rates in Tanzania, and was always quick to credit the work of the communities and agencies he worked with.

Lotter was a big figure in the international conservation community, having served on the boards of several conservation groups and was the Vice President of the International Ranger Federation. The news of his death has sent the community into mourning. “Wayne was one of Africa’s leading and most committed conservationists. He had over two decades worth of experience in wildlife management and conservation, and can be credited as the driving force behind ending the unscrupulous slaughter of Tanzania’s elephants,” said Azzedine Downes, CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

“Wayne devoted his life to Africa’s wildlife. From working as a ranger in his native South Africa as a young man to leading the charge against poaching in Tanzania, Wayne cared deeply about the people and animals that populate this world,” read a statement released by the PAMS Foundation team. “Wayne’s charm, brilliance and eccentric sense of humour gave him the unique ability to make those around him constantly laugh and smile. He died bravely fighting for the cause he was most passionate about.

“Wayne leaves behind his wife Inge, daughters Cara Jayne and Tamsin, and parents Vera and Charles Lotter. We all grieve with his family, colleagues and friends. His legacy will continue in our work.”

It is impossible to overstate the impact Wayne had on conservation in Tanzania. He did so much more any government, or other organization, and on a shoestring budget. He was as driven and passionate a man as you will ever meet.

We are much poorer for this loss.

What a tragedy and loss to Tanzania. Poor bloke was assassinated.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
What a tragedy and loss to Tanzania. Poor bloke was assassinated.

This is a loss to us all.

Very sad indeed!

Terrible news.

quote:

Originally posted by StormsGSP:
It is impossible to overstate the impact Wayne had on conservation in Tanzania. He did so much more any government, or other organization, and on a shoestring budget. He was as driven and passionate a man as you will ever meet.

We are much poorer for this loss.

Sorry to hear of his death.

There seemed to be a lot of publicity surrounding arrests and convictions that NTSCIU was involved with a couple of years ago. That publicity seems to have dropped off, at least regarding world news from my perspective over here. Is NTSCIU still active and doing good work?

Very sad to hear this.

Sounds well organized - foreknowledge of his movements.

RIP

quote:

Originally posted by Rockdoc:
Very sad to hear this.

Sounds well organized - foreknowledge of his movements.

RIP

"Big Wheels Turning"

I drove past the spot yesterday afternoon shortly after it happened; puddle of blood at the T junction were he got waylaid.

A very sad day indeed - RIP.

This news sickens my soul.

If more proof of rampant and lethal public corruption in Tanzania were needed, this is it.

This is the work of Chinese lackeys in the Tanzanian government and their henchmen.

What an awful thing. We have lost a good and brave man, who worked for a noble cause that is dear to all hunters, and African big game hunters, in particular.

My deepest respect, sympathy and condolences to family and friends.

So sad

What a tragic news, really sorry to hear this.

2009 Lukwika, right at the Tanzanian Mozambique border on Ruvuma river it was where I found one of the calmest population of elephants I have ever seen, the quality of Bulls was just simply amazing. Later it was a shock to learn that whole area has been poached out of elephants. What a tragedy happening right before our eyes in this modern time and guys like Wayne are the real hero who can proudly say they tried their level best to avoid the inevitable.

quote:

Originally posted by Ahmed Sultan:

2009 Lukwika, right at the Tanzanian Mozambique border on Ruvuma river it was where I found one of the calmest population of elephants I have ever seen, the quality of Bulls was just simply amazing.

Where the bulls lay down to sleep after feeding on cashew apples, just waiting for someone to pluck a hair from their tails.

And 4 years later when I hunted there we couldn't find a legal bull and saw multiple carcasses a day.

I doubt one could do that now.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
And 4 years later when I hunted there we couldn't find a legal bull and saw multiple carcasses a day.

I doubt one could do that now.

Sadly, what you say is absolutely correct, an area known to have produced elephants carrying 80/90lbs, an area where 40/50lbs were the order of the day, reduced to an elephant boneyard.

https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/t...ar-es-salaam-4041962


Dar es Salaam. Eleven people were on Friday, December, 2 handed death sentences after they were convicted of murdering top elephant conservationist, Wyne Lotter on August 16, 2017.

Appealing to the eye when one reads it but I doubt any execution will take place and more than likely, the sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment (hopefully without parole).

Still a good start though.

This is a terrible loss for all. RIP Mr Lotter
you did a wonderful job. So sorry for his wife, children, and Mom and Dad. What a tragedy, always done by a bunch of cowards.

Not a single Chinese national or high-ranking Tanzanian government official among them, either.

Do they expect us to believe this was a random robbery?

No way.

It was targeted.

Terrible.

As I read this, 11 Tanzanians were sentenced to death for Mr. Lotter's death. Good for them.
Hope they get it done soon! Share peoples lamentations that no Chinese are on the list.
They started it.

do they execute people in Tanzania or just sentence them?

quote:

Originally posted by Svinejakt:
do they execute people in Tanzania or just sentence them?

There are a good number of convicted killers on death row but never heard of any stretching the rope though the sentence may be carried out without advertising as they do in other countries to avoid issues with Amnesty and Human Rights.

That`s what I thought. Never heard of any executions. Seen some from Kenya, but never Tanz.

Wasn’t there a targeted assassination of a PH/Outfitter in RSA not that long ago? I seem to remember they shot him on the Highway and didn’t steal anything.

Did the authorities ever do anything?