In an effort to thwart bands of poachers who are decimating the population of wild animals in Kenya’s national parks, the African nation’s president has appointed famed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey as Director of Wildlife Management and Conservation.
The appointment represents a decisive victory for the 45-year-old scientist, who for the past year had been involved in a bitter public dispute with some top Kenyan government officials over the poaching issue. Now, Leakey’s appointment seems to indicate a new resolve on the part of the Kenyan government to preserve its wild animals and their habitats—heartening news for ethologists and conservationists who have watched in dismay as the population of some Kenyan animals has dropped to critical lows.
Leakey’s run-ins with officials have been marked by vociferous disagreements with two of the country’s most powerful politicians: George Muhoho, the former Minister of Wildlife and Tourism, and Joseph at Karanja, Kenya’s former vice ...
