Prince William pays tribute to a wildlife ranger killed in a rare engagement to his aunt Sophie
On Tuesday night, Prince William and his wildlife charity United for Wildlife organized a screening of the film rhino man, a documentary that celebrates the life and legacy of wildlife ranger Anton Mzimba. Before being murdered by wildlife traffickers in July 2022, Mzimba actually spoke to William before his death about his work at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in South Africa and Last year, the prince said he was “deeply saddened” by Mzimba’s death.
William also brought his aunt Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, to Tuesday’s screening at Battersea Power Station. It is a rare joint engagement of the couple, who are usually joined by their respective spouses, Princess Kate And Prince Edward. Although Sophie is not officially involved in wildlife conservation efforts, she learned about the issue during her travels in Africa as a representative for the Women, Peace agenda United Nations Peace and Security.
rhino man produced by Conservation Global, which counts Mzima as one of its technical advisors. Before the screening began, William met several of the people present, including Ruben And Marianne De Kock, who established a training service for current rangers, wildlife rangers Orlat Ndlovu, and film director John Jurk II.
During his speech at the event, William spoke about the importance of the film. “The murder of Anton Mzimba is a stark reminder of the daily dangers faced by all rangers around the world in order to protect the natural world from the international criminal syndicates. seeks to illegally profit from wildlife, and I am proud to see his life and legacy recognized IN rhino man” he say. “This is not a burden they can carry alone.”
William has long been passionate about wildlife conservation and spent part of his sabbatical year in the spring of 2001 traveling in Tanzania, Kenya and Botswana to learn first-hand about it. In 2014, he committed to the cause, when the Royal Foundation, the charity he shares with Kate, founded United For Wildlife to fund frontline conservation and food-enhancing organizations. law enforcement as well as partnering with NGOs in poaching and trafficking cases.
In a statement, Amanda Berry, The executive director of the Royal Foundation, praised the work of United For Wildlife, while highlighting the risks that wildlife trade still poses. “At the current rate of poaching, all rhinos in the wild could become extinct within the next two decades. It’s unbelievable that rangers can single-handedly protect these precious creatures, no matter how dedicated and excellent they are in their duties,” she said. “Through United for Wildlife, we know a unified and coordinated response that works. Sharing intelligence and best practices has led to an increase in arrests and arrests year on year.”
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