Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Prince William pleas for end to illegal poaching of animals


November 17, 2014
Share this:

Prince William has made a plea via a recorded video to stop the illegal poaching of animals. The royal, who is president of United for Wildlife, has teamed up with the video game Angry Birds to launch a new version of the game highlighting the outlawed trade.Sitting in an armchair dressed casually in a white T-shirt and pair of jeans, the Duke of Cambridge begins his message: "I am working with some of the world's largest conservation organisations to fight the illegal wildlife trade."

william

The 32-year-old goes on to warn that the "illegal slaughter of tens of thousands of animals every year" is pushing species "to the brink of extinction" and bankrolling criminal and terrorist gangs.

In his message the Duke says: "It may sound trivial set against other world problems, but it is an important part of the jigsaw - and it is one that you can do something about. "There is evidence that poaching funds criminal gangs, even terrorist organisations, and it deprives ancient communities of their heritage and livelihoods."

rhino

William is teaming up with Angry Birds to host a special tournament called "Roll with the Pangolins". The challenge adds animated versions of the animals, who are hunted for their meat and scales throughout Asia and Africa, to the popular game. "The humble pangolin, a scaly anteater, is one of the most endangered animals on the planet because of poaching," William says. "The pangolin runs the risk of becoming extinct before most people have even heard of them."

Prince William has spoken out many times to support the fight against illegal wildlife trade. Earlier this year he has already teamed up with former football star David Beckham, as the pair launched the campaign #WhoseSideAreYouOn in support of endangered species. "Roll with the Pangolins" begins on Monday and lasts a week.

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best royal coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Royalty

See more