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Kenyan conservationist Richard Leakey dead at 77

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Petr David Josek/Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Kenya

World-renowned Kenyan conservationist Richard Leakey passed away on Sunday at the age of 77 years old, according to a statement released on Sunday by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta,

Leakey, who also had a career as a politician in Kenya, became famous when he unearthed evidence that helped prove Mankind evolved in Africa.

His most famous find happenned in 1984 with the uncovering of an extraordinary, near-complete Homo Erectus skeleton.

During his life, Richard Leakey was also head of Kenya's Wildlife Service (KWS) where he spearheaded a campaign to end poaching of elephant ivory.

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