As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge continue their tour of India today, the Royal couple visited Kaziranga National Park where they learned about wildlife conservation efforts and the poaching blight being tackled by park rangers.
Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, also hopped into a Jeep for a safari where they spotted wild elephants, rhino and other animals protected in the UNESCO site that is home to the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinos.
This is one of the last areas in eastern India “undisturbed by a human presence,” according to UNESCO.
The Prince has been an outspoken advocate for wildlife protection and has called for an international crackdown on poaching and trafficking of animal parts.
Day 4 #RoyalVisitIndia: Duke & Duchess of Cambridge arrive at #Kaziranga National Park #Assam pic.twitter.com/JuPPEoRL0S
— UK in India (@UKinIndia) April 13, 2016
During their safari TRH meet #Kaziranga park rangers to discuss the anti-poaching effort#RoyalVisitIndia #Assam pic.twitter.com/WGwTyT51L7
— Scott FurssedonnWood (@DHCScottFW) April 13, 2016
First #rhino sighting of The Duke & Duchess’s #Kaziranga safari. This one’s having a morning bath.#royalvisitindia pic.twitter.com/YuTMuCKSyp
— Scott FurssedonnWood (@DHCScottFW) April 13, 2016
#RoyalVisitIndia William and Catherine on safari in the Kaziranga Park They saw lots Elephants rare 1 horned Rhinos pic.twitter.com/QuhQYlIALv
— Arthur Edwards (@ArthurJEdwards) April 13, 2016
The Duke and Duchess on their drive through the incredible #KazirangaNationalPark this morning #RoyalVisitIndia pic.twitter.com/pP4fwR0KBA
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 13, 2016
TRH met rangers who are protecting the park’s amazing wildlife and habitats #RoyalVisitIndia pic.twitter.com/5c6l2LKecm
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 13, 2016
The Duke and Duchess spotted rhino, water buffalo, swamp deer and a number of bird species #RoyalVisitIndia pic.twitter.com/cH6WHtOvtC
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 13, 2016
The couple later travelled to Panbari village, at the edge of the national park, where they met residents. They also visited the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation & Conservation, where they fed orphaned rhinos and elephants.
TRH fed orphaned baby elephants and rhinos at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation & Conservation #RoyalVisitIndia pic.twitter.com/MsuKJKJbDL
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 13, 2016
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hosted the William and Kate earlier this week, called on his government – and others – to do more to protect India’s tigers.
The country is home to more than 70 per cent of the world’s tiger population, which is under threat from illegal wildlife trafficking and habitat destruction.
But for the first time in almost a century, tigers are making a comeback.
The tiger population jumped by more than 500 in in India since 2010, while the global count of big cats rose by almost 22 per cent to 3,890, according to WWF and Global Tiger Forum.
“For the first time after decades of constant decline, tiger numbers are on the rise. This offers us great hope and shows that we can save species and their habitats when governments, local communities and conservationists work together,” Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International, said in a release this week.
Modi also made an impassioned plea at the third Asia Ministerial Conference on tiger conservation to protect the species as an imperative, not simply a choice.
India has a long standing & successful track record of protecting tigers.https://t.co/Cr4OkXW6x8
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 12, 2016
Trafficking of body parts of tigers is a serious issue & we must collaborate at highest levels to address it.https://t.co/RYvyz1mjyp
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 12, 2016
Conservation of nature & tigers is not a drag on development. Both can happen in a complimentary manner.https://t.co/jMe0Snrt0a
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 12, 2016
“I strongly believe that tiger conservation, or conservation of nature, is not a drag on development,” he said.
You can watch his full address to the conference on tiger conservation here:
Main photo Kensington Palace/Twitter
