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Prince William in wildlife PSA day after going hunting


U.K. royal Prince William is raising eyebrows in the British press after joining his father, Prince Charles, in an anti-poaching awareness PSA -- just one day after he was spotted hunting in Spain.

"We've come together as father and son to lend our voices to to the growing global effort to combat the illegal wildlife trade," Charles says in the 6 1/2-minute-long video, released to the public on Sunday.

"We must treat the illegal wildlife trade as a battle because it is precisely that. The rising and apparently insatiable demand, much of it from Asia, has provided an economic incentive for trafficking to become increasingly criminalized and professional."


Charles goes on to point out the grave threats presented to animals like the rhinoceros, tiger and elephant. Among the statistics mentioned, Charles notes that over 62 percent of Africa's elephants have been killed over the last 10 years alone. The royal says the extinction of the animal will occur within the next decade.

The Duke of Cambridge also speaks at length in the video, after reportedly hunting deer and boar with his brother, Prince Harry, on a family friend's estate in Spain Saturday, according to the U.K. Guardian.

"My father and I hope you share our belief that it is shocking that future generations may know a world without these magnificent animals and the habitats upon which they depend," William says.

He also makes mention of his six-month-old son, Prince George.

"This year, I have become even more devoted to protecting the resources of the earth for not only my son, but also the other children of his generation to enjoy," William says, "I want them to be able to experience the same Africa that I did as a child."

"It is of course even more important for each child growing up in countries where these animals live. It is nothing less than immoral that they are losing their birth right to fuel the greed of international criminals."

While there has been no evidence to indicate that William broke any laws on his recent hunting trip, BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell says it does raise questions.

"Such a trip is a world away from shooting endangered species for profit," Witchell observes. "But some may feel that to go hunting himself just as he launches a high-profile campaign is, at the very least, ill-timed."

After finishing up his tour in September 2013 as a RAF search-and-rescue helicopter pilot, William embarked on a wide-scale collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund

Since 2005, he has served as the royal patron of Tusk, a wildlife advocacy organization based in Africa.

"The Duke shares our philosophy that the future of Africa's unique wildlife relies heavily on our ability to successfully link the livelihoods of the local people with the benefits of preserving their natural heritage," Tusk CEO Charlie Mayhew says on the organization's web site.

Tell us: Do you think the hunting trip was ill-timed?
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