Prince William takes on illegal wildlife trade in Cape Town speech

The Prince of Wales has warned of the “troubling reality” the planet faces, as he focused on the need to tackle illegal wildlife trade during a visit to South Africa.

In a speech at a United for Wildlife summit in Cape Town, Prince William said wildlife crime had “ripple effects” that were “profound for us all”.

He also outlined a new life insurance cover for anti-poaching rangers, who he described as “guardians of our planet’s most precious resources”.

The initiative would provide cover to about 10,000 rangers working across Africa.

“Rangers are fundamental if we are to meet our global conservation targets for 2030 and prevent the dangerous tipping points that threaten our planet,” he said.

“These people do far more than protect wildlife. They are educators. They are community supporters. And they help regulate the sustainable use of natural resources.”

Prince William also spoke of Anton Mzimba, a ranger in South Africa who was killed by poachers, saying he was “assassinated in his home for doing his job, protecting the incredible biodiversity of this country”.

A report from the International Ranger Federation found that only 38% of rangers surveyed had access to life insurance.

The prince said fewer than 300,000 rangers were working across the globe, adding that estimates suggest “five times that number were needed to meet our conservation commitments”.

Prince William is halfway through his four-day visit to South Africa, where he has been promoting his environmental Earthshot Prize.

The prize supports sustainable, eco-friendly projects from around the world, awarding five winners £1m each.

The prince wore a blue and white bracelet made by his daughter, Princess Charlotte, on his wrist, with the word “Papa” spelled out by four beads.

Earlier on Tuesday, Prince William visited Signal Hill – part of the wider Table Mountain National Park – to meet rangers and conservationists.

He was guided through the National Park by park rangers, firefighters, mountain rescue volunteers, biodiversity experts and youth volunteers, led by Robert Irwin, the son of late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin.

He later met South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa at his official residence for talks about the new scheme for rangers.

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