Britain's Prince Harry is battling ivory poachers in Namibia.

Britain's Prince Harry

Britain's Prince Harry

The 30-year-old royal is reportedly part of a team who are flying over Northern Namibia's national park to protect endangered black rhinos from poachers.

A conservationist involved in the trip said: "He is tremendously caught up in the drama of helping to protect the country's black rhinos.

"He has come here at a time when Namibia is hugely challenged by increased poaching, and he is doing his bit."

As part of his role, the former army helicopter pilot is seeking out rhinos which they then tranquillise before sawing off chunks of their horns to put off poachers looking for a "trophy horn".

However, removing parts of their horns is not believed to have any lasting impact on the animal, as it will eventually regrow.

The prince - who announced he would be leaving the Armed Forces after almost a decade earlier this year - has been living under canvas alongside a team of vets and wildlife rangers while on the trip, which is being led by Dr Peter Morkel.

Prior to joining the initiative, Harry spent a week working on a game reserve in Tanzania where elephants are often targeted for their ivory, with the visits all being part of a three-month conservation tour.

However, Namibia's Minister of Environment and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta has warned the prince against turning the trip into a publicity stunt.

The Daily Mail newspaper reported him as saying: "Harry is not the first prominent person to visit Namibia and get involved with its conservation projects. We receive a lot of prominent people.

"We appreciate this, but we don't want it to turn into a public relations exercise."


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