British Primate Researcher Shot Dead
Ben Samphire was a 31 year-old from Bristol with a PhD, who was volunteering in Ecuador to gain experience in primate conservation.
The young man was participating in research about a rare monkey species, when he may have been mistaken for a thief by a local landowner who attacked him. Police are still looking for the killer. The death of a British citizen was confirmed by authorities in Ecuador.
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Samphire intended to purse a Master’s in primate conservation after returning from his volunteer work abroad. His doctorate work was in human cognition, but after completing his studies he decided he was more interested in conservation. He was born in Zambia but moved to England with his family at the age of three.
The area where the attack took place is known for biological diversity and attracts many researchers from around the world.
Image Credit: Public Domain, Free Clip Art Now
I feel that I must clarify what is being reported about the tragic death of Ben Samphire. Ben was working on my project investigating a threatened species of howler monkey while in Ecuador. It is being reported that he is thought to have been trespassing on the killer’s land and was mistaken for a thief. This is entirely untrue. Ben and my other research associate were working on land owned by 2 individuals in the community of Palmar who had given full written, and signed permission for us to be there. They were fully supportive of the project. The person currently under suspicion has, to my knowledge, not yet been caught, nor is he a local landowner. Though we have no motive for the shooting, he was shot at close range and could not have been mistaken for a thief. In fact, our theory is that this person wanted to rob Ben since he was carrying quite a bit of expensive equipment, including cameras, GPS units, and binoculars. My thoughts are with Ben’s family, and I am heartbroken for them.
Lisa Corewyn