A leading conservationist who battled elephant poachers in East Africa has been shot dead in Tanzania.

Wayne Lotter, 51, was described as a “hero to many” by Dr Jane Goodall, who said he and colleagues at the PAMS Foundation had “worked tirelessly to fight both poachers and corruption”.

Mr Lotter helped fund Tanzania’s National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit, which in 2015 arrested a Chinese woman, Yang Feng Glan, alleged to be the ‘Queen of Ivory’ and accused of running a $2.6m ivory smuggling ring.

The PAMS Foundation, which he set up with two other experts, Krissie Clark and Ally Namangaya, said it was “heartbroken” to report that the South African had been killed in the Masa-ki area of Dar es Salaam on Wednesday night.

“His ground-breaking work in developing an intelligence-based approach to anti-poaching helped successfully reverse the rampant rates of poaching facing Tanzania,” the group wrote in a post on its website.

In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history A section of an estimated 105 tonnes of elephant tusks confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers burns in flames at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya - RTX2C949 Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history Traditional Maasai tribesmen pose for a photograph near elephant tusks, part of an estimated 105 tonnes of confiscated ivory to be set ablaze, stacked onto a pyre at Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 28, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history A Kenya Wildlife Services ranger guards the burning of an estimated 105 tonnes of Elephant tusks confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history Kenya Wildlife Services rangers patrol as they guard the burning of an estimated 105 tonnes of Elephant tusks confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya - RTX2C956 Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history A journalist walks past burning stocks of an estimated 105 tonnes of ivory and a tonne of rhino horn confiscated from smugglers and poachers at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola - RTX2C951 Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history Members of the fire brigade control the burning of an estimated 105 tonnes of Elephant tusks confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya - RTX2C950 Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history A Kenya Wildlife Services ranger guards the burning of an estimated 105 tonnes of Elephant tusks confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya - RTX2C94Z Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history A general view shows part of the 105 tonnes of elephant tusks confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers burning at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya - RTX2C94J Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history Firefighters monitor the burning of elephant tusks, part of an estimated 105 tonnes of confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers, at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya? - RTX2C94I Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history Kenya Wildlife Services rangers guard the burning of an estimated 105 tonnes of Elephant tusks confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya - RTX2C94A Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history A member of the fire brigade shouts as she and other members control the burning of an estimated 105 tonnes of Elephant tusks confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya - RTX2C948 Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history A section of an estimated 105 tonnes of elephant tusks confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers burns in flames at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya - RTX2C947 Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history A section of an estimated 105 tonnes of Elephant tusks confiscated ivory from smugglers and poachers burns in flames at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya - RTX2C945 Reuters In pictures: Kenya stages largest ivory burn in history Fire burns part of an estimated 105 tonnes of ivory and a tonne of rhino horn confiscated from smugglers and poachers at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola - RTX2C92W Reuters

“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.”

Dr Goodall, a leading expert on chimpanzees who has worked in Tanzania since the 1960s, wrote that Mr Lotter was "a hero of mine, a hero to many, someone who devoted his life to protecting Africa’s wildlife”.

“There is no doubt in my mind but that Wayne’s anti-poaching efforts made a big difference in the fight to save Tanzania's elephants from the illegal ivory trade,” she said.

“Moreover his courage in the face of stiff opposition and personal threats, and his determination to keep on fighting, has inspired many, and encouraged them also to keep fighting for wildlife.

“If this cowardly shooting was an attempt to bring the work of the PAMS Foundation to an end it will fail.

“Those who have been inspired by Wayne will fight on. But he will be sadly missed by so many.”

She said “powerful vest interests” had attempted to “blacken Wayne’s name and close down the PAMS Foundation”.

“I was asked to bring the issue to the attention of people who could help him fight this, including the American Embassy. Fortunately his good name and that of PAMS was salvaged,” Dr Goodall said.

WildAid, which works to persuade people not to buy wildlife products such as elephant ivory, rhino horn and shark fin, said Mr Lotter was a “fearless and vocal advocate for wildlife and wild places”.

“Despite the obstacles that he faced, and there were many, Wayne was always planning the next step, looking for ways to extend PAMS’ reach and, to his dismay, spending precious time seeking funds to do it with. Many people and organizations were only too glad to give him those funds,” it said.

“The tide was starting to turn in Tanzania, elephant poaching had decreased in a number of areas, and this was in no small measure because of PAMS and the extraordinary partnership that it forged with the National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit (NTSCIU).

“The world of conservation has lost one of its brightest and best.”

Mr Lotter is survived by his wife Inge, daughters Cara Jayne and Tamsin, and parents Vera and Charles Lotter.