The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Royals’plea to save wildlife
THE PRINCE of Wales and Duke of Cambridge have joined forces to record a video message calling on the world to act now to save endangered animals like rhinos, elephants and tigers.
Charles and William’s joint plea is the beginning of a week of wildlife conservation activities by the royal men, which will culminate in them attending the London conference on the illegal wildlife trade.
The royal duo even speak in a range of languages, from Mandarin and Arabic to Swahili and Vietnamese, to get their message across to their target audiences.
In the campaign’s new video William, president of WWF-UK, says: “We have come together, as father and son, to lend our voices to the growing global effort to combat the illegal wildlife trade — a trade that has reached such unprecedented levels of killing and related violence that it now poses a grave threat not only to the survivalofsomeoftheworld’smosttreasured species, but also to economic and political stability in many areas around the world.”
The prince and duke have worked together before to raise the issue of animal conservation and William is royal patron of the wildlife conservation charity Tusk Trust, and last year formed the umbrella body United For Wildlife to help tackle the threat to the world’s endangered species.
He said: “This year, I have become even more devoted to protecting the resources of the Earth for not only my own son but also the other children of his generation to enjoy.”
His father highlights h ow “organisedbandsofcriminals” arefeedingan insatiable demand for animal products, much of it destined for consumers in Asia.
Spelling out the cost in animal lives, Charles said: “More than 30,000 elephants were killed last year, amounting to nearly 100 deaths per day.
“In the past 10 years, 62% of African forest elephants have been lost. If this rate continues, the forest elephant will be extinct within 10 years. “A rhinoceros is killed every 11 hours.” Charles will give a speech at the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade being hosted by the Government at Lancaster House on Thursday.
William will also attend and it will be hosted by the Prime Minister.
World leaders will discuss the threat to endangered species and attempt to agree a more co-ordinated global response to the issue.