Prince Harry's Heartbreak After Working Against Poachers In Africa

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    In one of his personal pictures of his trip to Southern Africa, Harry wrote: 'After a very long day in Kruger National Park, with five rhinos sent to new homes and three elephants freed from their collars - like this sedated female - I decided to take a moment... Hearing stories from people on the ground about how bad the situation really is, upset and frustrated me.'
    2/9 In one of his personal pictures of his trip to Southern Africa, Harry wrote: 'After a very long day in Kruger National Park, with five rhinos sent to new homes and three elephants freed from their collars - like this sedated female - I decided to take a moment... Hearing stories from people on the ground about how bad the situation really is, upset and frustrated me.'
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    On the Kensington Palace Instagram feed, Harry wrote: 'This was the second time Zawadi, a female black rhino, met someone from my family. My brother William fed her three years ago in Kent just before she left under a translocation project... Thanks to the passion and stubbornness of Tony Fitzjohn OBE and his amazing rangers, she and many others are living it up in the bush and their numbers are growing.'
    3/9 On the Kensington Palace Instagram feed, Harry wrote: 'This was the second time Zawadi, a female black rhino, met someone from my family. My brother William fed her three years ago in Kent just before she left under a translocation project... Thanks to the passion and stubbornness of Tony Fitzjohn OBE and his amazing rangers, she and many others are living it up in the bush and their numbers are growing.'
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    'Hope is a young female black rhino that was brutally wounded by poachers. Harry said he 'stared into her eyes while operating on her and thought at first that it would have been better and fairer to put her down rather than put her through the pain'. Afterwards he was told of another female called Thandi who was in a similar state in 2012. She now has a baby calf. Every single rhino matters.
    4/9 'Hope is a young female black rhino that was brutally wounded by poachers. Harry said he 'stared into her eyes while operating on her and thought at first that it would have been better and fairer to put her down rather than put her through the pain'. Afterwards he was told of another female called Thandi who was in a similar state in 2012. She now has a baby calf. Every single rhino matters.
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    Here Prince Harry shares his story behind the photograph, saying he was helping conservation experts with de-horning. He said: 'My initial task each time was to monitor the heart rate and oxygen levels and help stabilise them as quickly as possible. My responsibilities then grew to taking blood and tissue samples and the de-horning itself.'
    5/9 Here Prince Harry shares his story behind the photograph, saying he was helping conservation experts with de-horning. He said: 'My initial task each time was to monitor the heart rate and oxygen levels and help stabilise them as quickly as possible. My responsibilities then grew to taking blood and tissue samples and the de-horning itself.'
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    Prince Harry was left almost lost for words when he was shown the carcass of a rhino slaughtered for its horn in Kruger National Park.
    6/9 Prince Harry was left almost lost for words when he was shown the carcass of a rhino slaughtered for its horn in Kruger National Park.
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    The Prince was upset by the senseless slaughter, but declared that the poachers would be caught because they were 'sloppy' and left cigarette butts behind. This means rangers have crucial DNA evidence to work with.
    7/9 The Prince was upset by the senseless slaughter, but declared that the poachers would be caught because they were 'sloppy' and left cigarette butts behind. This means rangers have crucial DNA evidence to work with.
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    A smiling Harry looked delighted to be visiting the college where young rangers are trained. In a speech to students he described them as 'heroes' for the perseverance they demonstrate in challenging circumstances.
    8/9 A smiling Harry looked delighted to be visiting the college where young rangers are trained. In a speech to students he described them as 'heroes' for the perseverance they demonstrate in challenging circumstances.
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    The Prince is seen with a canine companion at the Southern African Wildlife College. He appealed for donations to help the rangers train more tracking dogs, which are essential in the fight against poaching. 'The dogs can really turn the tide for these guys against the poachers. No poachers have been caught this year without them,' he explained.
    9/9 The Prince is seen with a canine companion at the Southern African Wildlife College. He appealed for donations to help the rangers train more tracking dogs, which are essential in the fight against poaching. 'The dogs can really turn the tide for these guys against the poachers. No poachers have been caught this year without them,' he explained.

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WARNING: Disturbing Images.


Prince Harry has released snaps from his personal photo collection revealing intensely personal moments during a trip to Southern Africa when he worked closely with vets to de-horn rhinos and help protect elephants.

The prince was also left shocked and speechless after visiting a crime scene where environmental investigations rangers were gathering evidence in the hope of eventually catching poachers that killed a mother rhino alongside her two-year-old calf in Kruger National Park today.

Harry was shown around by Major General Johan Jooste, who is in charge of Kruger's anti poaching team, and Senior Environmental Investigator Frik Rossouw, who has been a ranger for 27 years.

He has now shared his experiences during his time in Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia to highlight the 'urgent challenges faced by people on the ground working to protect Africa's most endangered animals.'

'How can it be that 30,000 elephants were slaughtered last year alone? None of them had names, so do we not care? And for what? Their tusks? Seeing huge carcasses of rhinos and elephants scattered across Africa, with their horns and tusks missing is a pointless waste of beauty.'

Many will be surprised to see the royal participating in surgery on rhinos to save them after attacks and also to de-horn them in a desperate attempt to deter poaches.

Rangers at the park find 75 per cent of the animals who have have been victims of poaching within a week but with up to two rhinos being killed every day they have an enormous task.

The animals are killed for their horn which is wrongly believed to have medicinal properties in Asia. The horn sells for between R65,000 to R 85,000 per kilogram.

One horn could be six to eight kilograms which means that a horn can make half a million rand, which at he current exchange rate is almost £25,000.

Prince Harry thanked the rangers for their efforts, saying: 'The animals need you guys. For me and for everyone else, thank you for wanting to learn, and thank you for wanting to help. These are your animals, your bush, your Africa.'