... 
 
 r protecting nature despite poor working conditions. The report 'Ranger Perceptions: Central America' collates survey responses from more than 330 Rangers across seven Central American countries. Results show that over three-quarters of Rangers have faced a life-threatening situation, and over half see their families 10 days or less each month. While the vast majority of Rangers (92.4%) feel they are adequately trained to do their job, 70% say they are not provided with proper equipment and resources to ensure safety. Rangers from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama took part in the survey. https://www.globalwildlife.org/…/ranger… (Photo credits: WCS Belize; Panthera) Una nueva encuesta muestra que los guardabosques de toda América Central comparten la pasión por proteger la naturaleza a pesar de las malas condiciones de trabajo. El informe 'Percepciones de guardabosques: Centroamérica' recopila respuestas de encuestas de más de 330 guardabosques en siete países de Centroamérica. Los resultados muestran que más de las tres cuartas partes de los Rangers se han enfrentado a una situación que pone en peligro la vida, y más de la mitad ve a sus familias 10 días o menos cada mes. Si bien la gran mayoría de los Rangers (92.4%) sienten que están adecuadamente capacitados para hacer su trabajo, el 70% dice que no cuentan con el equipo y los recursos adecuados para garantizar la seguridad. Rangers de Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Belice, Nicaragua, Costa Rica y Panamá participaron en la encuesta. https://www.globalwildlife.org/…/ranger… (Photo credits: WCS Belize; Panthera) ||||| Wayne Lotter Credit: PAMS Foundation 
 
 Wayne Lotter, the co-founder and president of conservation organisation PAMS Foundation, has been shot dead by gunmen in Tanzania. The 51-year-old, from South Africa, was killed late on Wednesday night while travelling in a taxi through the city of Dar es Salaam, in an attack that is currently being investigated by police. In a Facebook post following his death, PAMS Foundation said they were "heartbroken" by the news and remembered the keen conservationist for his "charm, brilliance and eccentric sense of humour". 
 
 Sorry, this content isn't available on your device. 
 
 Former ranger Mr Lotter has been credited for helping to arrest thousands of poachers and traffickers over the years as he lead the charge against poaching in Tanzania. The fight against poaching was a personal one for Mr Lotter. Writing for ITV News in 2014, he revealed his "stomach knots" every time he saw an elephant carcass. 
 
 Many elephants are still killed for their tusks and Mr Lotter was dedicated to stopping this awful poaching trade Credit: PAMS Foundation ||||| NAIROBI (Reuters) - A prominent conservationist who worked on high profile ivory smuggling cases has been shot dead in Tanzania, colleagues said on Tuesday, although the motive for the killing was unclear. 
 
 “We are heartbroken to share the news that PAMS Foundation co-founder, Wayne Lotter was shot and killed last night,” said a statement on the website of the conservation charity he founded. 
 
 “His ground-breaking work in developing an intelligence-based approach to anti-poaching helped successfully reverse the rampant rates of poaching facing Tanzania.” 
 
 It was unclear if Lotter’s death was related to his work, colleagues said. His assailant reportedly stole his laptop, said two colleagues who declined to be name. 
 
 Lotter, a South African, supported an elite Tanzanian anti-poaching unit that has had a number of successful arrests in recent years, colleagues said. 
 
 He also worked on the notorious Ivory Queen case, which saw Yang Feng Glan, a Chinese pensioner, charged with running a smuggling empire that stretched form East Africa to Asian markets. She denies the charges in the ongoing court case. ||||| ... 
 
 (FOLLOW THE MONEY) Extracts of the speech given by Krissie Clark, Executive Director of PAMS Foundation at the closing ceremony of the ‘Money Laundering, Financial & Wildlife Investigation, Asset Tracing and Forfeiture’ workshop, together with the Inspector General of Police, Director of Criminal Investigations and Chairman of National Task Force Anti-Poaching. ‘’Thanks to the political will of the President with his drive to stop corruption and environmental crime, it makes it easy for us to support you and your work’’. ‘’PAMS is here to support you and the Government of Tanzania in various forms’’. ‘’Tourism is a big contributor to the country’s economy. Protecting elephants, other wildlife and forests is good for the country’s economy. An attack on Tanzania’s wildlife or forest resources, should be seen is an attack on Tanzania.’’ ‘’People are making a lot of money through the killing of wildlife and cutting down of forests, and then illegally trafficking it to other countries. In particular, the people making the most money are the big shots, the syndicate leaders, the king pins. They are filthy rich and stealing from Tanzania. These big shots will also go to great lengths to stop you and your work, and have even tried to stop PAMS supporting the Tanzania government. Our co direct Wayne Lotter was killed in August 2017.’’ ‘’Continue to be strong, determined, courageous and most importantly we need to be united on this environmental and economic cause. United we stand, divided we fall.’’ ‘’Tanzania’s current multi agency approach of the NTAP to tackling wildlife and forest crimes is exemplary and is seen as the model example that other countries are now adopting. You can really be proud, as you have each played a key role to make that happen’’ ‘’I also hope that the discussions this week will really open the way for your work to be taken to new level. I firmly believe that by undertaking these parallel investigations, with one investigation being the typical wildlife crime investigation and the other focussing on tracing the money, determining the proceed of crimes and ultimately resulting in asset forfeiture, it going to bring about amazing things. The creation of a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ as one presenter said.’’ ‘’There is lots of talk about ‘follow the money’ out there in the world, but there seems to very little action on the ground. I believe that Tanzania, through the people in this room & your colleagues, you are going to be the first to really turn all that talk of follow the money, into action on the ground. You are going to revolutionize the game! ‘’ ‘’If Tanzanian can do these financial investigation through a multi agency approach, I would like to predict that Tanzania will again lead the way, for the rest to follow.‘’ 
 
 TANZANIA TO LEAD THE WAY – PARALLEL INVESTIGATONS & ASSET FORFEITURE ||||| The head of an animal conservation NGO who had received numerous death threats has been shot and killed by an unknown gunman in Tanzania. 
 
 Wayne Lotter, 51, was shot on Wednesday evening in the Masaki district of the city of Dar es Salaam. The wildlife conservationist was being driven from the airport to his hotel when his taxi was stopped by another vehicle. Two men, one armed with a gun opened his car door and shot him. 
 
 Lotter was a director and co-founder of the PAMS Foundation, an NGO that provides conservation and anti-poaching support to communities and governments in Africa. Since starting the organisation in Tanzania in 2009, he had received numerous death threats relating to his work. 
 
 Police in Tanzania have launched an investigation into his death. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Wayne Lotter with primatologist Jane Goodall (centre) and PAMS co-founder Krissie Clark. Photograph: Krissie Clark / PAMS Foundation 
 
 The PAMS Foundation funded and supported Tanzania’s elite anti-poaching National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit (NTSCIU) which was responsible for arrests of major ivory traffickers including Yang Feng Glan, the so-called “Queen of Ivory” and several other notorious elephant poachers. Since 2012, the unit has arrested more than 2,000 poachers and ivory traffickers and has a conviction rate of 80%. The NTSCIU was recently featured in the Netflix documentary The Ivory Game. In a previous interview, Lotter said he believed its work had helped to reduce poaching rates in Tanzania by at least 50%. 
 
 The latest elephant census data suggests that elephant populations fell by 30% in Africa between 2007 and 2014. Tanzania experienced one of the biggest declines in elephant numbers, where the census documented a 60% decrease in the population. 
 
 Lotter rarely took credit for PAMS’ success in helping reduce poaching rates in Tanzania, and was always quick to credit the work of the communities and agencies he worked with. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Wayne Lotter with his colleagues at PAMS. Photograph: Krissie Clark/PAMS Foundation 
 
 Lotter was a big figure in the international conservation community, having served on the boards of several conservation groups and was the Vice President of the International Ranger Federation. The news of his death has sent the community into mourning. “Wayne was one of Africa’s leading and most committed conservationists. He had over two decades worth of experience in wildlife management and conservation, and can be credited as the driving force behind ending the unscrupulous slaughter of Tanzania’s elephants,” said Azzedine Downes, CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). 
 
 “Wayne devoted his life to Africa’s wildlife. From working as a ranger in his native South Africa as a young man to leading the charge against poaching in Tanzania, Wayne cared deeply about the people and animals that populate this world,” read a statement released by the PAMS Foundation team. “Wayne’s charm, brilliance and eccentric sense of humour gave him the unique ability to make those around him constantly laugh and smile. He died bravely fighting for the cause he was most passionate about. 
 
 “Wayne leaves behind his wife Inge, daughters Cara Jayne and Tamsin, and parents Vera and Charles Lotter. We all grieve with his family, colleagues and friends. His legacy will continue in our work.” 
 
 • This footnote was added on 18 August 2017. Vulcan, who support this independent editorial series, is also one of the funders for PAMS.
– He dedicated his life to saving elephants—and might have been killed as a result. Wayne Lotter, a director of anti-poaching NGO the PAMS Foundation, was shot and killed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Wednesday night during a taxi ride from the airport to his hotel, reports the Guardian. The vehicle was reportedly stopped by two men, who opened Lotter's car door and fatally shot the 51-year-old. His laptop was also stolen, reports Reuters. Who would want to kill a wildlife conservationist? Plenty of people, apparently. Lotter had received numerous death threats since co-founding the PAMS Foundation in 2009; it assisted African communities and governments with anti-poaching efforts and bankrolled Tanzania's elite anti-poaching investigation unit. Since 2012, the National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit has arrested more than 2,000 poachers and ivory traffickers. Police are investigating his death but so far no suspects have been arrested. In a statement, Jane Goodall describes Lotter as one of her heroes, who "worked tirelessly to fight both poachers and corruption" and "faced strong opposition from dealers and many high level government officials." The PAMS Foundation says "Wayne devoted his life to Africa's wildlife" and "died bravely fighting for the cause he was most passionate about." His death could "deeply hit the fight against poaching in Africa," an ecologist tells ITV News. (Poachers have a new target: ancient trees.)