Prince Harry has begun the second stint of his conservation work in South Africa against poachers.
Details have emerged of the Prince’s work with the South African military after he was flown into a camp in the game reserve of Kruger Park, the Mail on Sunday reports.
The Prince has reportedly joined night patrols on Operation Corona since being flown into the area last Wednesday and has already been involved in a shootout against poachers in the vast reserve. One poacher was injured and the patrol group recovered a high-powered rifle and a silencer.
But while the Prince’s efforts have been praised by some, for others, it only served as a reminder of an image of the prince that emerged 18 months ago perched on top of a buffalo he had shot dead during a hunt in 2004.
Harry, the buffalo killer: Picture emerges after prince's call to protect wildlife #princeharry #BanTrophyHunting pic.twitter.com/iWcJKABa7v
— Rhesus (@rhesusmonkey29) August 9, 2015
#PrinceHarry crouches over a buffalo he shot and killed in South America in 2004. #CecilTheLion #Stoptrophyhunting pic.twitter.com/cPwzDpA8N2
— Riad KACED Imaziɣen (@riadkaced) August 4, 2015
While the hunt took place 11 years ago when the prince was still a teenager, Prince Harry and his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, were also criticised last year after it was revealed they had flown to Spain for a hunting holiday on their godfather the Duke of Westminster’s estate in Cordoba.
They reportedly travelled there to shoot wild boar, stag and partridge - none of which are not endangered or illegal to hunt.
Park staff walk near the carcass of a three-day-old rhinoceros killed by poachers in the southern part of Kruger National Park (Getty Images)
Prince Harry began his three-month period of conservation work in Africa in July after deciding to leave the army after 10 years of service.
His tour of conservation work has seen him travel to Namibia before heading to South Africa to help protect endangered rhinos and elephants from poachers. He will also travel to Tanzania and Botswana.
The most controversial animal kills
The news of the tour came days before Prince William and his father Prince Charles issued an appeal for the public to join them in the fight for the protection of endangered animals against poachers.
Read more:
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He told The Sun at the time: “It made me feel sick. This is right at the heart of the problem we are looking at in this government.
“It’s the whole attitude of the privileged classes – you can rescue rhinos and elephants in Africa but kill anything you want if you’re rich.”
The debate of hunting for sport has been reignited in the past month after Cecil the Lion was lured away from conservation grounds in Zimbabwe and shot by an American hunter, who claims he believed the hunt was legal.
Cecil the lion was something of a national treasure, known for his distinctive black mane, and was a local attraction.
