Science, Medicine & Engineering
Landmark
Richard Leakey
1944 – 2022
Fossil finds on human origins, and the war on ivory poaching
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Kenya Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
His fossil finds rewrote human origins, and as head of the wildlife service he burned Kenya's ivory stockpile in public and broke the poaching trade.
Richard Leakey was a Kenyan anthropologist, conservationist and public figure responsible for extensive fossil finds bearing on human evolution.
As director of Kenya's wildlife service he led a successful campaign against the poaching of the African elephant.
As director of Kenya's wildlife service he led a successful campaign against the poaching of the African elephant.
- Britannica — Richard Leakey
- Mongabay — Elephant protector and fossil hunter Richard Leakey leaves outsized legacy in Kenya
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