Harry And William Just Received Sad News
For both of the brothers, William and Harry, Africa has a special meaning. It is the place where Prince Charles took them after the death of their mom Princess Diana in 1997 to help them with their grief.
“I first came in 1997, straight after my mum died. My dad [Prince Charles] told my brother [Prince William] and me to pack our bags—we were going to Africa to get away from it all,” Harry had opened up earlier to Town and Country magazine about his love for the country.
“My brother and I were brought up outdoors. We appreciate nature and everything about it.”
Prince Harry regularly makes visit to Botswana too. And now the royal brothers will be saddened to hear about the country’s decision to lift the ban on elephant hunting, which was announced on Thursday.
The former president Ian Khama, a keen environmentalist, introduced a prohibition on elephant hunting in the southern African country in 2014. However, lawmakers from the ruling Botswana Democratic party (BDP) have been lobbying to overturn the ban.
The southern African nation is home to an estimated 130,000 elephants. The lifting of the ban raised concerns about a possible increase in illegal poaching of elephants for their tusks to supply the ivory trade.
Harry and Meghan recently shared on their Instagram account a photo of their trip there in 2017.
The caption explains that they traveled to the African country to assist Dr. Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders in equipping a bull elephant with a satellite collar, explaining that tracking the animal will allow conservationists to project him and other elephants from poachers.
Sharing the photo on Instagram, the royals wrote in the caption: “Their Royal Highnesses travelled to Botswana to assist Dr. Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders in equipping a bull elephant with a satellite collar. Approximately 100 elephants are poached/killed every day for their ivory tusks. The elephant pictured was sedated for just 10 minutes before he was up and back with his herd. Tracking his movements has allowed conservationists to better protect him and other elephants and ensure heightened protection for these beautiful creatures moving forward.”
In 2016, Prince Harry even helped African Parks with one of the largest elephant translocations in conservation history. He spent three weeks in Malawi, Africa where he worked alongside volunteers, vets and experts on the frontline of one of the largest and most significant elephant translocations in conservation history.
In 2005, William also became Patron of an African conservation charity based in the UK, Tusk Trust.
He is also the President of United for Wildlife and has spoken about wanting to preserve endangered species for future generations, including his own three children George, Charlotte and Louis.