About Richard

Richard was not just an elephant biologist. He was someone who knew how to see what mattered: for wildlife, in landscapes, in conservation systems, and especially in people, and activate his understanding into results that improved conditions for all.

Again and again, colleagues have agreed on the same core element: one of Richard’s great gifts was his ability to identify exceptional people and support them well, even if the funds were small he believed that they could have a significant impact.

That is at the heart of this fund.

Over time, this site will share more of Richard’s words, stories, and conservation philosophy, because the way he thought about wildlife, integrity, and action still has much to teach and we are still learning from him.

Learn About Richard's Fund

"Without elephants and other wildlife, the natural world does not make sense; it ceases to exist as it evolved. More importantly to me, it feels lonely. Ineffably empty and lonely because the greatest part of the Animal Kingdom is missing without elephants. That loneliness is being caused by us, by our growing numbers, and by our greed, ignorance, and apathy. We are doing this to the natural world and eventually to ourselves...how [can] we work together as a world community? It feels overwhelming right now, and we realize that it is getting late. But it's not yet too late. And, yes, it is a dream, but not an impossible one."

- Dr. Richard G. Ruggiero

2012 Blog Post for National Geographic

Richard's Journey

Richard's Bio

Richard G. Ruggiero (1953–2024) devoted more than four decades to understanding and conserving Africa's elephants and the landscapes they shape. His career combined scientific research, field conservation, public service, and mentorship, always guided by the belief that lasting conservation depends on thoughtful people, practical action, and long-term commitment.

After earning his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, Richard began his conservation career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Central African Republic. The experience transformed his life, inspiring him to complete master's and doctoral degrees also at Rutgers and returning to Central Africa to conduct pioneering research on elephants and participate in anti-poaching efforts. Those formative years shaped the philosophy that guided the rest of his life.

Over the following decades, Richard worked across Africa as a scientist, academic director, wildlife manager, and conservation grant program leader. He helped establish and strengthen protected areas, advanced elephant conservation throughout the continent, directed field programs in Kenya and Republic of Congo, and spent twenty years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service overseeing elephant and other international conservation programs before returning to Africa with the African Wildlife Foundation.

Richard's influence reached far beyond the projects he managed. He became known for identifying exceptional people, mentoring young conservationists, and helping others transform promising ideas into lasting conservation impact. Many conservation professionals today trace important moments in their careers to Richard's encouragement, advice, or support.

Less than a month after completing his final assignment in Cameroon, rebuilding yet another national park and risking his life again for the sake of elephants and other wildlife to do so, Richard was diagnosed with glioblastoma - an aggressive, terminal brain cancer. He died in February 2024, on his 71st birthday, just over six months later.

Richard's Timeline

1953 — Born in Paterson, New Jersey

1970–1980 — Rutgers University (B.S.)

1981–1984 — Peace Corps Volunteer, Central African Republic

1985–1989 — M.S. and Ph.D., Rutgers University; doctoral research on forest elephants and anti-poaching work in Central African Republic

1989–1991 — Director, School for Field Studies, Kenya

1991–1997 — Wildlife Conservation Society, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo

1998–2018 — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of International Conservation (African Elephant Conservation Fund, Africa Branch Chief, Chief of Division)

2020–2023 — African Wildlife Foundation, Faro Landscape Director, Cameroon

2024 — Richard G. Ruggiero Savanna and Forest Elephant (RGR SAFE) Fund established to continue his conservation legacy

Richard's Words and Testimonials

Word of Witness for Richard’s Memorial Service March 2024: A combined CV / eulogy that includes details of the connection between WHWF and Richard as well as his background in conservation and his childhood.

Testimonies : Initial testimony from Richard's Memorial Service from his PCP and a treasured colleague from the field in Africa.

Richard's LinkedIn Richard did not spend a lot of time promoting himself or on social media but he did venture into LinkedIn at one point...

Richard's Academia Profile Richard did not publish extensively in the peer-review literature but he contributed to so much research and conservation that resulted in many publications and we are capturing that information over on the 'About Elephants' section. One example is this Blake et al. (2007) paper in PLOS Biology: Forest Elephant Crisis in the Congo Basin.

Sangha River Conference (1997) RG Ruggiero, The Ndoki Model (starts p. 176): Summary of the conservation project and National Park he helped establish in Republic of Congo starting in the 1990's and part of a volume about the region encouraging a tri-national park that now exists and that Richard was instrumental in supporting.

US Fish & Wildlife Service (2004) African Elephant Conservation Fund 2003 Grant Appropriations -- Richard was the African Elephant Conservation Fund Program Officer at this time - offers example of his work. (PDF on Government Website)

Congressional Testimony (2007) Dr. J. Michael Fay Testimony for Re-Authorization of African Elephant Conservation Act. Acknowledges Richard's contributions to African wildlife conservation. (PDF on House of Representatives Resources Committee Website)

US Fish and Wildlife Service (2011) Save Vanishing Species: African Elephants: Interview with Richard as Chief of Division of International Conservation (YouTube)

WNYC (2012) Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin: Interview with Richard (and Peter Beard) discussing elephant conservation. (radio / recording)

NPR (2013) Elephant Poaching Pushes Species to Brink of Extinction (article, transcript and recording)

NPR (2013) Radiocarbon Clues Help Track Down Poached Elephant Ivory (article, transcript and recording)

NewScientist (2013) We're crushing tonnes of ivory to discourage poachers (article)

Shark Research Institute (2014) Veteran FWS official serves as U.S. eyes, ears in poaching crackdown (article)

CBS Mornings (2014) U.S. cracks down on elephant ivory trade: Story including Richard (YouTube)

USFWS International (2014) Announcement of Leadership: Richard Promotion to Chief of the Division of International Conservation (Facebook)

Center for Strategic and International Studies (2015) Video Part 2: Combating Wildlife Poaching and Insecurity in Africa: Panel including Richard (YouTube)

AWE NEWS (2016) US Fish & Wildlife - Awesome Wildlife Effort - WLAE: Interview with Richard (Starts 8:14 YouTube)

Richard & Classical Music

Alongside his lifelong commitment to wildlife conservation, Richard cultivated an extraordinary knowledge of classical music. Over nearly three decades he assembled and meticulously cataloged a collection of more than 57,000 classical recordings, creating a detailed database indexing composers, conductors, soloists, operas, and individual works.

More than a collector, Richard was a student of musical interpretation, fascinated by how different artists brought the same compositions to life. Family and friends often marveled at his ability to identify a composer, work, conductor, orchestra—and sometimes even the specific recording—after hearing only a few notes.

Music accompanied every stage of Richard's life. It connected him to his Italian-American family heritage introduced to him by his father and was the sounds of his childhood. It shaped countless evenings of study and reflection, and remained a source of comfort until the very end of his life.

Today, his collection is being thoughtfully curated so that we can share with you the music that inspired him. The majority of the collection, we hope, will help support this fund and the conservation legacy he devoted his life to building. His collection will be transformed, with the help of his musically-inclined colleagues and friends guiding the process, into donations for his fund.

Richard's Listening Room

Preliminary insights from Richard's personal collection include:

Estimated recordings catalogued: 57,000+
Individual catalog entries: Nearly 17,000
Opera recordings: More than 1,700
Opera composers represented: 156
Individual operas represented: 666

Most Frequently Collected Works

Igor Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring (129 recordings)
Modest Mussorgsky / Maurice Ravel – Pictures at an Exhibition (84 orchestral recordings, plus 39 recordings of Mussorgsky's original piano version)
Gustav Holst – The Planets (59 recordings)
Giuseppe Verdi – Messa da Requiem (55 recordings)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Manfred Symphony (39 recordings)
Carl Orff – Carmina Burana (28 recordings)

Musical Interests

Richard's collection spans the entire classical repertoire, with particularly strong representation in:

Late Romantic symphonic music
Twentieth-century orchestral works
Opera
Historical recordings
Comparative interpretations by the world's great conductors and soloists

Connecting His Love of Music and Nature

Richard's collection suggests a particular attraction to composers and works that evoke vast landscapes, the power of the natural world, and the emotional journey of the human spirit. His library was especially rich in the music of Mahler, Bruckner, Sibelius, Stravinsky, and Mussorgsky—composers whose works often explore themes of wilderness, seasons, mythology, transformation, and humanity's place within nature. Just as Richard spent his professional life observing elephants and wild landscapes with extraordinary patience and attention, he seemed to approach music in much the same way: listening deeply, comparing interpretations, and continually discovering new meaning in familiar works.

RG Ruggiero Original Charcoal Tosca_edit