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Prince William feared that elephants, rhinos and tigers would be extinct by the age of 20.
In a passionate speech delivered at a conference in London, the Duke of Cambridge said that more needed to be done to eradicate the illegal wildlife trade – and warned that he was funding criminal networks and threatened the livelihoods of poor communities.
Describing a recent trip to Africa, where he witnessed conservation efforts, he said: "Some of the rhinos I've seen are so threatened that they have more bodyguards than me."
Although Prince William hailed the progress made in recent years, he cautioned against complacency and detailed the human cost of wildlife protection.
"More than 1,000 rangers have been killed in the line of duty over the last decade, poaching levels may be decreasing in some areas but remain too high overall", he declared.
Prince William stated that he was "heartbreaking". to think that elephants could be extinct before his children reach the age of 20
The Duke of Cambridge spoke at the Illegal Wildlife Conference – the largest conference of its kind ever to take place.
He added that most of the world's major banks are committed to better identifying, tracking and reporting suspicious financial activities related to the illegal wildlife trade – and urging these institutions to treat it as a "serious financial crime" ".
Prince William added, "While the ivory market is closing in some countries, it is being moved elsewhere: pangolin scales, rhinoceros horns, and feline body parts are still easy to find in the world. street stalls from around the world.
"We still do not see enough criminal convictions for wildlife-related offenses, and the penalties are all too often indulgent – and all of this means that thousands of local communities are deprived of their most precious natural resources and have not seen it. a path of poverty. "
Reminding the public of the real extinction threat of wild-faced elephants, rhinos and tigers, he said: "I am not ready to look at my children in the eye and say we are the generation who let that happen on our side.
The Duke of Cambridge warned against complacency during his passionate speech
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt joined the Duke of Cambridge at the conference. He said: "Criminal gangs that smuggle horns and tusks are one of the biggest threats to wildlife survival."
"They are targeting some of the world's poorest countries by spreading corruption and depriving governments of desperately needed revenues that could be used for schools and hospitals."
Hunt said the UK has launched an initiative to help countries in Africa and Asia open investigations into illegal activities and seize assets – sales of goods and services. ivory are now banned in the United Kingdom.
He told the conference, "My goal is for Britain to do everything possible to protect wildlife for the benefit of our grandchildren.
"If we do not act, we simply will never be forgiven."
