Visiting for three days in South Africa, Prince Albert II has come to support organizations working to defend endangered animals. The ruler has also received a distinction from the organization he supports for his commitment to the defence of animals threatened with extinction.
Arrived on Sunday on the home soil of his wife, Prince Albert II began a three-day visit to South Africa. A trip during which the Sovereign has chosen to show his support to NGOs that defend biodiversity and endangered animal species.
So, Sunday night in Johannesburg, the ruler attended the awards ceremony of the Rhino Conservation Awards Foundation. This Foundation, aided by the South African government, is fighting against the poaching and trafficking of rhinoceros horns that directly threaten the species.
During the evening, the Prince was honoured for his commitment to the defence of endangered animals by the association Game Rangers of Africa. This is an organization he has supported since 2014.
Invited to the Rhino Conservation Foundation’s awards ceremony, the Sovereign praised the commitment of those fighting against poaching and rhinoceros horn trafficking.
A VISIT TO KRUGER PARK
In his speech to the assembly, the Sovereign paid tribute to the rangers “who are the daily heroes of the defence of biodiversity”. He recalled that “one million species of animals and plants are threatened with extinction in the near future.”
The defence of the endangered species is one of the areas of action of the Prince Albert II Foundation. Since its creation in 2006, the Foundation has supported several projects to protect endangered animals, such as the great apes of Uganda or the tigers of Love in China.
Prince Albert II then continued his stay in South Africa with a visit to Kruger Park, designated as the largest game reserve in the country, covering nearly 20,000 km2.
He will be one of the speakers, on Tuesday, of the international conference, “Species on the Move” which brings together scientists and environmentalists in the park’s conference centre.