Iain Douglas-Hamilton, elephant protector, has died at 83

For nearly six decades, Iain Douglas-Hamilton worked across the savannas of Africa, his scientific focus fixed on its largest inhabitants — the elephants. It was said he could identify an elephant by the pattern of its ears or the wrinkles in its skin. He liked to note that elephants were like people — capable of deep social bonds and flashes of temper. Douglas-Hamilton, who passed away on December 8th, 2025, at the age of 83, devoted his life to ensuring that they had a future. Born in Dorset, England, Iain was the younger son of Lord David Douglas-Hamilton, a decorated Royal Air Force (RAF) officer, and Prunella Stack, a pioneer of women’s fitness. From an early age, he was drawn toward Africa. After studying zoology at Oxford, he followed that pull. At 23, he arrived in Tanzania’s Lake