NAIROBI (Reuters] Richard Leakey, a Kenyan conservationist/paleoanthropologist who led campaigns against ivory trade in order to save the dwindling African population of elephants, died on Sunday, according the Kenyan presidency. He was aged 77.

Leakey held various government positions for many years, including director of Kenya’s state-run National Museums of Kenya (now the Kenya Wildlife Service) and two times as chairman of its board.

Uhuru Kenyatta stated that Leakey has “served the country with distinction”.

“Dr. Leakey, besides his remarkable career in public service is also celebrated for his significant role in Kenya’s vibrant civil community where he successfully managed many institutions.”

Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey were the parents of Leakey. Their work has helped to prove that human evolution started in Africa. For his efforts in saving wildlife from poachers, and leading campaigns against ivory trade, he was admired.

Paula Kahumbu is a WildlifeDirect leader and a conservationist. She told Reuters Leakey had mentored her as well as many other young Kenyans.

She described him as “very courageous” and a man who believed in integrity. He was involved with wildlife conservation, paleoanthropological research at museums, and politics.

Leakey was also Kenya’s chief of civil services from July 1999 until March 2001. This occurred at a moment when donors were urging Daniel Arap Moi to address corruption in the government.

In 1995, he was co-founder of Safina Party.

He was the chairman of Stony Brook University’s Turkana Basin University, the United States. This institute facilitates research and education on palaeontology, archaeology, and northern Kenyan history.

Leakey was also a Fellow of the UK-based Royal Society, and Honorary Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences.