On 18 July 1989, in front of television cameras from around the world, Kenyan Wildlife Service director Richard Leakey set fire to 12 tonnes of ivory confiscated from poachers. The bonfire in Nairobi National Park was a statement: Kenya would not profit from the slaughter of its elephants. President Daniel arap Moi lit the match. The image of the burning ivory became one of the most powerful conservation photographs of the 20th century. Within months, an international ban on ivory trade had been agreed. Kenya's elephants were given a reprieve.