{{Short description|South African wildlife conservationist (1965–2017)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use South African English|date=August 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Wayne Lotter | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1965|12|04|df=y}} | birth_place = Benoni, South Africa | death_date = {{Death date and age|2017|08|16|1965|12|04|df=y}} | death_place = Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | other_names = | occupation = Conservationist | years_active = 1987–2017 | known_for = | notable_works = }} '''Wayne Lotter''' (4 December 1965 – 16 August 2017) was a South African wildlife conservationist. Lotter was one of the co-founders of the PAMS Foundation, a non profit conservation organisation based in Tanzania. Lotter also previously served as Vice President of the International Ranger Federation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.itv.com/news/2014-02-11/new-thinking-needed-in-the-war-on-ivory-poachers/|title=New thinking needed in the war on ivory poachers|work=ITV News|access-date=2017-08-22|language=en}}</ref>

==Biography== Having obtained a master's degree in nature conservation in the 1990s,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Harvey |first=Fiona |date=2017-10-06 |title=Wayne Lotter obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/06/wayne-lotter-obituary |access-date=2025-10-17 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Lotter began working in the non-profit and government wildlife protection sectors. He worked initially as a ranger in South Africa. He was a co-founder of the PAMS Foundation which trained thousands of young Africans in conservation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ippmedia.com/en/news/wayne-lotter-rights-body-calls-justice|title=Wayne Lotter: Rights body calls for justice|website=www.ippmedia.com|language=en|access-date=2017-08-22}}</ref> Lotter was involved in funding the National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit in Tanzania which had successfully pursued a number of high-profile ivory traffickers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/08/18/renowned-anti-poaching-leader-shot-dead-by-gunmen-in-tanzania/|title=Renowned anti-poaching leader slain by gunmen in Tanzania|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2017-08-22}}</ref>

In a 2015 interview with ''Newsweek'' Lotter was described as "enthusiastic and charismatic".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/global-fight-tanzanias-elephants-386324|title=The Global Fight for Tanzania's Elephants|date=2015-10-22|work=Newsweek|access-date=2017-08-22|language=en}}</ref>

Lotter was asked to take part in the 2016 Netflix documentary ''The Ivory Game'' but requested that rangers employed by the foundation be featured instead.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://lowvelder.co.za/378445/ex-knp-game-ranger-tackling-poaching-unconventional-way/|title=Ex-KNP game ranger tackling poaching the unconventional way {{!}} Lowvelder|date=2017-03-10|work=Lowvelder|access-date=2017-08-22|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Death== Lotter, who had regularly received death threats, was shot dead on Wednesday, 16 August 2017, while travelling in a taxi in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/sa-conservationist-killed-in-tanzania-after-almost-a-decade-of-death-threats-20170818|title=SA conservationist killed in Tanzania after almost a decade of death threats|work=News24|access-date=2017-08-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.itv.com/news/2017-08-17/anti-poaching-activist-wayne-lotter-shot-dead-in-tanzania/|title=Anti-poaching activist Wayne Lotter shot dead in Tanzania|work=ITV News|access-date=2017-08-22|language=en}}</ref>

His death attracted international attention, with an obituary being published in ''The Times of London'' and ''The Economist''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/wayne-lotter-obituary-f0790vk5h|title=Wayne Lotter|access-date=2017-08-22|language=en}}</ref><ref name="vecono" >{{cite news|title=Obituary: Wayne Lotter was killed on August 16th|url=https://www.economist.com/news/obituary/21727875-fighter-tanzanias-elephants-was-51-obituary-wayne-lotter-was-killed-august-16th|newspaper=The Economist|date=31 Aug 2017}}</ref>

Jane Goodall, a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace paid tribute to Lotter, whom she described as a "hero of mine" and "courageous".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.janegoodall.org/2017/08/18/wayne-lotter-remembrance/|title=Wayne Lotter: Remembering a Wildlife Hero & Friend|date=2017-08-18|website=Jane Goodall's Good for All News|access-date=2017-08-22}}</ref> Tributes were also paid by other wildlife protection organisations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/18/world/africa/elephant-poachers-wayne-lotter.html|title=Crusader Who Saved Elephants From Poachers Is Shot Dead in Tanzania|last=Hauser|first=Christine|date=2017-08-18|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-08-22|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/news/conservation-loses-one-its-best|title=Conservation loses one of its best|last=Downes|first=Azzedine|website=IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare|access-date=2017-08-22}}</ref>

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge also condemned the "violent and apparently targeted murder" of Lotter and expressed his "deepest condolences to Wayne's family and all those at PAMS Foundation for this senseless loss."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.itv.com/news/2017-08-24/prince-william-condemns-death-of-wildlife-activist-wayne-lotter/|title=Prince William condemns death of wildlife activist Wayne Lotter|work=ITV News|access-date=2018-10-25|language=en}}</ref>

==See also== * Esmond Bradley Martin, fought against the illegal trade of rhinoceros horns, also murdered

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lotter, Wayne}} Category:1965 births Category:2017 deaths Category:People from Johannesburg Category:People murdered in Tanzania Category:South African conservationists Category:South African expatriates in Tanzania Category:South African people murdered abroad Category:White South African people Category:2010s murders in Tanzania Category:2017 crimes in Tanzania Category:2017 murders in Africa Category:Environmental killings