Prince Harry releases a selection of personal photographs from Africa

Prince Harry has released a selection of his own personal photographs and videos that were taken during his summer visit to southern Africa, where he worked on front-line conservation projects. 

He has shared his experiences of that work by writing captions for each photograph and video, taken in Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. 

The photographs and videos highlight the urgent challenges faced by people on the ground working to protect Africa's most endangered animals.

During his summer visit, Prince Harry worked alongside rangers who are the first to respond to poaching attacks on elephants and rhino. He also spent time working alongside some of the world's leading veterinarians who act to save animals who have survived barbaric attacks, including the removal of their tusks and horns.

Prince Harry has chosen to release the photographs and video to coincide with his official visit to South Africa Wildlife College near Kruger National Park today. This is a return visit to Kruger for Prince Harry after he spent time over the summer working alongside rangers there. He was impressed by their skills and experience and wanted to take this opportunity to highlight their specialised training and the sacrifices they make to protect some of Africa's most iconic species.

The photographs and videos can be viewed on Instagram: KensingtonRoyal or Twitter @KensingtonRoyal

The photographs can also be downloaded via www.flickr.com/photos/britishmonarchy 

Please see below for terms of release of the photographs and videos.

Photograph and video captions by Prince Harry:

Photograph 1

I was working with Dr. Mark Jago and Dr. Pete Morkel in Namibia. Some countries are de-horning small populations of rhino to deter poachers from shooting them. It is a short-term solution and surely no substitute for professional and well-trained rangers protecting these highly sought-after animals. De-horning has to be done every two years for it to be effective and can only realistically be done with small populations in open bush. My initial task each time was to monitor the heart rate and oxygen levels and help stabilise them as quickly as possible. My responsibilities then grew to taking blood and tissue samples and the de-horning itself.

You can learn more and how to help by visiting:

https://www.savetherhino.org/africa_programmes/save_the_rhino_trust_nam…

Photograph 2

By this point many people will have heard of ‘Hope’, a young female black rhino that was brutally wounded by poachers in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. This was the second operation to try to save this animal’s life.

Some poachers use a dart gun and tranquilize the animal so as to not have to fire a shot that would be heard. They then hack their face off while the animal is paralysed before running off with the horn. Local communities saw her stumbling through the bush and then alerted the authorities. Thanks to Dr William Fowlds and his team, Hope survived and is making a speedy recovery. I stared into her eyes while operating on her and thought at first that it would have been better and fairer to put her down rather than put her through the pain. Afterwards I was told of another female called Thandi who was in a similar state in 2012. She now has a baby calf called Thembi.

Every single rhino matters.

If you want to help have a look at: www.wildernessFoundation.co.za

Photograph 3

After a very long day in Kruger National Park, with five rhinos sent to new homes and three elephants freed from their collars - like this sedated female - I decided to take a moment.I know how lucky I am to have these experiences, but hearing stories from people on the ground about how bad the situation really is, upset and frustrated me. How can it be that 30,000 elephants were slaughtered last year alone? None of them had names, so do we not care? And for what?

Their tusks? Seeing huge carcasses of rhinos and elephants scattered across Africa, with their horns and tusks missing is a pointless waste of beauty.

Photograph 4

This was the second time Zawadi, a female black rhino, met someone from my family. My brother William fed her two years ago in Kent just before she left under a translocation project to Tanzania where she now lives in a sanctuary. Thanks to the passion and stubbornness of Tony Fitzjohn OBE and his amazing rangers, she and many others are living it up in the bush and their numbers are growing. She goes nuts for carrots and I loved being able to send William this photo.

Hats off to Tusk Trust.

http://www.tusk.org/mkomazi-national-park

Video 1

These baby rhinos are at an orphanage because their mothers were killed by poachers. I can’t say where this is for obvious reasons. But I spent an afternoon with Petronel Nieuwoubt who runs the orphanage. The youngest rhino was called Don. He was just two months old when he was found in Kruger National Park. Petronel has students and volunteers from all over the world come to look after these orphans. They pay for this experience and that money is used for milk, food, fencing and rangers for security.

For more information go to www.careforwild.co.za

Video 2

Trying to stop a three tonne rhino with a rope and a blindfold isn’t easy! Especially in this harsh terrain in Botswana. Mapp Ives and Kai Collins, with the help of Botswana Defence Force and the government, are doing everything they can to protect their newly reintroduced rhino population. This sometimes means having to sedate them to check on how they’re doing.

If you want to find out more, look at Rhino Conservation Botswana:

www.rhinoconservationbotswana.com/rhinoconservatio.html