IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Richard Leakey on poaching and wildlife trade

05 April 2011 | Audio

Kenya-born Richard Leakey has served as head of Kenya Wildlife Service, an IUCN Member. Much of his life has been devoted to conservation and he has been a leading figure in the fight to preserve the African elephant by banning the ivory trade.

In 2004, Richard Leakey founded Wildlife Direct, a Kenya-based charity which supports conservationists in Africa directly on the ground. The organization played a significant role in protecting mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park.

Here Leakey, a long-standing member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, shares his views on what’s needed to combat poaching and the escalating illegal trade in wildlife.