Prince Harry feels most at home when in Africa

SAVING endangered animals is God’s test for humanity, according to Prince Harry.

The royal said if we could not save elephants from extinction then humanity might be in danger too.

He called for an international body to regulate anyone who owned or managed wildlife in his strongest comments on conservation so far.

Harry, 32, also said he was “more myself” than anywhere in the world when he was in Africa.

He felt an intense sense of complete relaxation and normality on the continent that he did not get elsewhere, the prince said in the latest edition of Town and Country, a US magazine, which made him the cover star under the headline “Bachelors of the year”.

Harry’s comments suggest that the fifth in line to the throne, who has yet to decide on a career for himself, could follow his father and devote himself to conservation fulltime.

Harry and his brother, Prince William, were taken to Africa by Prince Charles after the death of their mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.

Recalling the episode, Harry said: “My dad told my brother and I to pack our bags – we were going to Africa to get away from it all.

“My brother and I were brought up outdoors. We appreciate nature and everything about it. But it became more.”

He was interviewed during the three weeks he spent at the 500 Elephants project in Malawi, run by an NGO called African Parks. Harry then became more serious. “In Africa, I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world. I wish I could spend more time here.

“I have this intense sense of complete relaxation and normality here.

“To not get recognised, to lose myself in the bush with what I would call the most down-to-earth people on the planet, people [dedicated to conservation] with no ulterior motives, no agendas, who would sacrifice everything for the betterment of nature.

“I talk to them about their jobs and learn so much. [And then] I go home and bang the drum so that we can all try to make a difference.”

The aim in Malawi was to take elephants from an overstocked region to one with less conflict and more food.

Harry helped to move anaesthetised elephants from Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve in trucks to the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, where they could thrive better. – The Telegraph