Two conservationists, Mark Jenkins and his son, Peter, died in a plane crash during an aerial patrol of Tsavo East National Park in Kenya on 8 December.
‘We are still wrapping our minds around this terrible tragedy. Our hearts go out to Clare and Myles, who lost a husband and a father, a son and a brother,’ Sheldrick Wildlife Trust wrote on Facebook.
‘Mark devoted his entire life to protecting East Africa’s wild spaces. While his time was cut too short, a man like Mark never really leaves us. His legacy lives on through the wildernesses he helped transform, from the Selous and Serengeti in Tanzania, to Uganda, to swathes of Kenya, the country where he was born and raised. He was a vital member of our team and played a pivotal role in advancing conservation in the Tsavo landscape,’ the Trust added.
‘Peter was following in his father’s footsteps and was already a force of nature in his own right. He had completed his conservation degree and was spending time in the field before beginning his training at Sandhurst in April. ‘
According to the UK’s Parachute Regiment, Peter was commissioned as a Reserve Officer into 4 Para in 2019 and was a platoon commander in London.
It is still unclear what caused the accident.
Pictures: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Parachute Regiment
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