Leading US investigator into illegal ivory and rhino horn trade stabbed to death in his Kenyan home

'A passionate and committed man who made a big difference to our planet. May he rest in peace'

File: Kenyan police say Esmond Martin, an expert on the illegal ivory trade, was found stabbed to death in the Karen neighbourhood of the city (AP)

One of the world’s leading ivory trade investigators has been stabbed to death in Kenya.

Esmond Bradley Martin was found in his home with stab wound to the neck by his wife in their house in Langata.

The 75-year-old had played a crucial role in the fight against the illegal ivory and rhino trade and has been praised for his "passion and commitment".

The former UN special envoy for rhino conservation was at the forefront of exposing ivory traffickers in the US, Congo, Vietnam, Nigeria, Angola, China and recently Burma.

“It’s a very big loss for conservation,” Paula Kahumbu, chief executive of Wildlife Direct, an organisation focused on protecting elephants in Kenya, said.

He had been about to publish a report exposing how the ivory trade had shifted from China to neighbouring countries, Mr Kahumbu added.

British High Commissioner to Kenya Nic Hailey said in a Twitter post: “A passionate and committed man who made a big difference to our planet. May he rest in peace.”

He is the second prominent conservationist to die in East Africa in the past year.

South African Wayne Lotter, whose work targeted ivory smuggling from Africa to Asia, was shot dead in Tanzania in August.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death and suspect it was an attempted robbery.

Agencies contributed to this report