Prince William has made a plea via a recorded video to stop the illegal poaching of animals. The royal, who is president of United for Wildlife, has teamed up with the video game Angry Birds to launch a new version of the game highlighting the outlawed trade.Sitting in an armchair dressed casually in a white T-shirt and pair of jeans, the Duke of Cambridge begins his message: "I am working with some of the world's largest conservation organisations to fight the illegal wildlife trade."
The 32-year-old goes on to warn that the "illegal slaughter of tens of thousands of animals every year" is pushing species "to the brink of extinction" and bankrolling criminal and terrorist gangs.
In his message the Duke says: "It may sound trivial set against other world problems, but it is an important part of the jigsaw - and it is one that you can do something about. "There is evidence that poaching funds criminal gangs, even terrorist organisations, and it deprives ancient communities of their heritage and livelihoods."
William is teaming up with Angry Birds to host a special tournament called "Roll with the Pangolins". The challenge adds animated versions of the animals, who are hunted for their meat and scales throughout Asia and Africa, to the popular game. "The humble pangolin, a scaly anteater, is one of the most endangered animals on the planet because of poaching," William says. "The pangolin runs the risk of becoming extinct before most people have even heard of them."
