Saba Douglas-Hamilton (Kenya, UWC Atlantic College 1986-1988) is a conservationist, award-winning wildlife filmmaker, BBC Television presenter and author. In Kiswahili, Saba means “seven” and she was named like that by Maasai women because she was born on the 7^th of June at 7 pm as the 7^th grandchild in the family.

After a Masters degree in Social Anthropology from St. Andrews University, UK, Saba worked for the Save the Rhino Trust in Namibia, where she ran a community conservation project to protect the rare desert-adapted black rhino. She then joined her zoologist father’s charity Save the Elephants, which monitors a population of over 900 free-roaming elephants. She is also the Chair of the International Selection Committee for the Future for Nature Award, a prestigious international award that celebrates tangible achievements in protecting wild animal and plant species.

“Currently, illegal ivory trade is the greatest threat to elephants, but hard on its heels comes loss of habitat and human encroachment. Elephants are in crisis across Africa. While we are having some success with anti-poaching efforts in Kenya, it’s a far cry from what’s happening across the rest of the continent”, she said.

Based in Samburu National Reserve in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, Save the Elephants provides cutting-edge scientific insights into elephant behaviour, intelligence, and long-distance movement and applies them to the long-term challenges of elephant conservation. It was at Save the Elephants that Saba was spotted by the BBC in 2000 and began her career as a TV presenter and producer of wildlife documentaries. She has hosted nine natural history TV series and is a regular guest speaker at the Royal Geographical Society, where she is a Fellow. Saba has also presented over twenty-four wildlife documentaries including BBC documentary series Unknown Africa and Secret Life of Elephants a documentary broadcasted to more than 4.2 million viewers that explored the lives of elephants in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya and the conservation work of Save the Elephants.

After taking a sabbatical to raise her family, Saba returned to filmmaking with a new 10 part BBC series, This Wild Life, set in Samburu National Reserve, one of Africa's most stunning locations.

Photo credit: Elephant Watch Camp, Samburu, Kenya