Mr Mzimbas is hailed as a “wildlife warrior” and he has spent his entire career fighting poaching attacks on endangered animals in South Africa. The Duke of Cambridge said he was “deeply saddened” to hear of Mr Mzimba’s death and hoped those responsible would be brought “to justice soon”.
Prince William posted on Twitter on Wednesday evening about the death of Anton Mzimba after the ranger was shot dead outside his home.
The prince praised the ranger and said his thoughts were with Mr. Mzimba’s family.
Anton Mzimba had worked for Timbavati Nature Reserve for 25 years and was their Head Ranger.
He began his career as an erosion field worker before becoming one of the youngest rangers to work in Timbavati in 1998.
The Timbavati Reserve posted on social media: “Anton, you have left a legacy – one that, in your honor, we will uphold and never forget.”
Prince William met Mr Mzimba in the fall of 2021 while in Reading to learn about a new technique to fight ivory poachers.
The Duke of Cambridge spoke to Mr Mzimba about the dangers that rangers in South Africa face from poachers and criminal gangs.
Mazimba told the prince: “This is a very well-organized crime. It’s about local people. But in the end it is about the border of the country.”
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The wildlife charity ‘Helping Rhinos’ posted on social media that Mr Mzimba’s death “highlights the daily threat facing Rangers”
Rangers in South Africa have helped dramatically reduce poaching in recent years by adding more patrols in the area and training locals to help protect wildlife.
The number of endangered animals killed by poachers has fallen every year since 2016, with 451 rhinoceroses dying in 2021 compared to more than a thousand in 2015.
Ranger efforts to help animals often endanger them by criminals.
The illegal wildlife trade is one of the five most lucrative crimes worldwide and is estimated to be worth about $50-150 billion dollars a year.
Animals are hunted to the point of extinction for their horns, skin and teeth.
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Poaching in South Africa is often perpetrated by organized and well-trained criminal networks, as more than 11,000 rhinoceroses have been killed by poachers since 2008.
The effect of poaching threatens to cause rhinoceros extinction as the South African rhinoceros population has declined by 59 percent since 2013.
Prince William founded United for Wildlife in 2014 with the aim of protecting endangered animals from the illegal wildlife trade.
The Duke of Cambridge is a passionate conservationist and has campaigned to protect rhinos, elephants and sharks.
The organization has trained more than 85,000 people to fight illegal wildlife trade and contributed to 124 arrests of animal traffickers.