Prince Harry has been using his piloting skills to help with a "human-assisted migration" of 500 elephants in Malawi.

Prince Harry

Prince Harry

The 31-year-old royal - a former Army helicopter pilot - is currently helping non-profit organisation Africa Parks by assisting with immobilising the animals by aiming darts from a chopper.

Frances Read of Africa Parks explained to People magazine: "As you can imagine, everything is on quite a significant scale. A helicopter goes up with a vet and they identify a cohesive group of elephants, which is really important because you've got to keep the family groups together.

"Then they try to flush them out of the woodlands and onto the floodplains, which makes it a lot easier and safer to dart."

According to the publication, the flame-haired royal is staying in the general camping area on the riverside at Liwonde National Park and uses a bucket to wash and eats food made in a field.

Frances previously said it is a great help to the group that Harry is joining in with the project to move the large animals across the southern African state as part of a 500 Elephants initiative.

She said: "We are delighted that Prince Harry has joined us on this very important project."

Frances admitted it is a huge task.

Explaining the process, she added: "As you can imagine, everything is on quite a significant scale.

"A helicopter goes up with a vet and they identify a cohesive group of elephants, which is really important because you've got to keep the family groups together. Then they try to flush them out of the woodlands and onto the floodplains, which makes it a lot easier and safer to dart.

"As they are being darted, cars move in on the ground. So as soon as the elephants start to go down there are people to assist and make sure they are breathing properly and are positioned safely, so that they haven't fallen on their chest or against something, or on one another."


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