Tuesday, January 4, 2022

ETERNAL OPTIMIST


The conservation world, and world in general, lost one of its biggest and greatest on Sunday. Richard Leakey was a Kenyan paleoanthropologist, conservationist, and politician, and held a number of official positions in Keyna, mostly in institutions of archaeology and wildlife and land conservation. Richard was fiercely dedicated to protecting our natural world. As a groundbreaking paleoanthropologist, he helped establish Africa as the birthplace of humankind. But for all his work exploring evolutionary history, Richard was equally committed to securing a sustainable future for Keya's wildlife, and in particular, it's elephant population. As head of the Keyna Wildlife Service, he ushered in a new era of conservation and became a leading voice in Keya's anti-poaching campaign, where elephants at one time were being poached and killed one every 15 minutes. In 1989 he spearheaded a fire seen around the world, setting alight to the country's huge stockpile of ivory.


This ivory burn, which was repeated in 2016, made an extremely powerful, global statement that elephants are worth far more alive and let living. He has also assisted with his service and funding for the Sheldrick Trust, which I'm a member, and a foundation very close to my heart, who are single handily bringing back the elephant population, and many are going on to live back in the wild. He truly is a god send.  But Richard was larger than life-and so is his legacy. His vision and commitment set a new pace for conservation, the impact of which will be felt for generations to come with his strict laws and fines for poaching. A man I admired and yet another person the planet will sorely miss.

"It's the next annihilation of vast numbers of species. It's happening now, and we, the human race, are it's cause."

"To have arrived on this earth as a product of biological accident, only to depart through human arrogance, would be the ultimate irony."


Richard Erskine Frere Leakey FRE

December 14, 1944- January 2, 2022


27 comments:

  1. Oh, I hadn't heard this news! What a huge loss for conservation and our world.

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  2. He will be missed.

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  3. Lotsa folks will be needed to fill his shoes!

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  4. It always makes me so sad to hear news like this, mostly because these people who depart have such passion and caring hearts and truly do so much good. It takes many to fill the shoes of one. And it seems fewer and fewer just don't care. People who don't protect the earth and the environment and animals, I disregard immediately.

    For all we know he and Betty are talking this minute.

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    1. It makes me sad to to loss good humans like this, because there is just not enought.

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  5. Cap Chasen1/05/2022

    Noooooooo! I huge hit for us who truly love the animals and environment kingdoms. What a legend he was. I read his Wildlife Wars and he became a hero of mine. What a contribution he made and a legacy he leaves behind. I beseech all animals' lovers to read it so you can truly see how painstaking, grueling, and difficult conservation work is.

    I only hope this isn't gonna be another one of those years.

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  6. RIP. We all should thank him for his dedication to wildlife and humans both.

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  7. So sad. We need way many more people like him in this world. He was such a great visionary.

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  8. Years ago, I read the book about him and his elephant crusade.

    A Brillant read. I believe I read somewhere that Angelina Jolie is going to write and direct a biopic of Richard Leakey and his work. I don't know if it ever materialized or not.

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    1. I wonder if that's the same book Cap is talking of or a different one...off to find out. I did hear about Angelina doing the movie. I don't know if it ever released or not.

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  9. May his legacy continue.

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  10. I do hope his legacy will live through the courage work that the Sheldrick Trust does as well as other in Africa. The Sheldrick is a fine foundation and is doing great things not just for elephants but all animals.

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    1. The Sheldrick is a god send too! I just love the work they are doing, not just for elephants but many different animals. They have one of the best Instagram's, and it and the trust is still run by the Sheldrick's daughter Angela. The world has a huge debit to their work as well.

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  11. How very sad. What a heroic man. Those big game hunts and the collection of baby animals for sale on the black market and the ivory trade... have all taken a large toll on a country blessed with an abundance of beauty. Those that profit from such endeavors are tricky, steely, and difficult to thwart. Good for him to stand up and fight the good fight. There are some very good people in this world with their hearts in the right place... this was one. RIP Kizzes.

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    1. I feel so sorry for all the animals everywhere, but especially in Africa and India where it seems many are so endangered, and barely hanging on...especially rhinos. I think I read that the last white rhino has died.

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  12. May he rest in peace. I have always been fascinated by elephants. As a kid, loved seeing them at zoo. As I grew older, and heard that they were going extinct, it made me sad. They are so beautiful and majestic and gentle.
    I have a friend, whose daughter is now in Africa and is a protector of the wild life there. She has told me it's dangerous trying to protect endangered species and is often frightened for her daughter, who could be killed while standing in the way of a poacher and the wildlife.

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    1. Bravo to your friend's daughter!!!! It's funny JM, but once my family is gone, I have considered getting rid of many things and have thought of doing the same. I would love to do work with the Sheldrick Trust. I do donations for them and have done one of the adoptions of one of the elephants. I go on their live feeds on Instagram a lot to see them putting the babies and younger ones to bed. It's so neat to see the bond they get with the human caretakers. They have said the elephants that get released, and are back in the wild, often come back to pop in to visit. That is amazing to me.

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  13. I remember that last ivory burn. What a huge less.

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  14. I would very much like to meet an elephant. They seem so kind and gentle, don't they? May Lea legacy live on....

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    1. I have been around a few when I was young and rode two. But now long ago I had to friends who cared for rescue elephants from circuses. They let me meet their two rescues, before going off to live their life at a sanctuary. They are so immense and are so darn intelligent. They have always fascinated me.

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  15. The fact that we are all from the same stock back in the dawn of time is something that the racists must ignore or pretend that it is completely incorrect. After all everyone knows that Jesus was white and it follows from that that white people are superior to all other races (TIC)!

    And kudos to all the game wardens in Africa who face death on a daily basis from poachers funded by China.

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    1. I couldn't agree more with you Helen.

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  16. The world needs millions more like him.

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    1. I agree Ricko! It's like an upward battle.

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  17. I have thought many times of trying to go into this and help with endangered animals, but not quite sure how to get involved in it. I would love to be more involved in person with the Sheldrick Trust in Kenya, but I wouldn't go through with it with so very little family left here.

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!