‘Humanitarian’ Prince Harry appointed to the Board of Directors of African Parks for his conservation work

The Duke of Sussex has been appointed a board member of African Parks for his work on conservation projects across the continent.

Prince Harry, 39, became president of the organisation in 2017, after joining the team on a trip to Malawi the previous year to undertake an elephant conservation project.

During his time as president, the Duke of Sussex has overseen other conservation programmes to protect national parks and wildlife in countries across Africa and has been hailed by the CEO of the organisation for his ‘dedication and commitment’ to the cause.

In August 2022, he hosted a group of US officials, conservationists and philanthropists in a tour of Zambia, Mozambique and Rwanda, where the group visited wildlife and nature reserves.

Following six years serving as President, the Duke is now on its Board of Directors for the organisation, which African Parks’s governing body.

The Duke of Sussex has been appointed to the Board of Directors of African Parks after serving as its president for six years (pictured carrying out an elephant relocation project with the organisation in 2016)

The organisation announced Harry’s new position in a statement on its website which described him as ‘a humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist’. 

The Duke of Sussex has a long-demonstrated history of conservation work in national and wildlife parks around Africa, and has conducted much of this work through African Parks. 

In 2021, shortly after the death of his grandfather Prince Philip, the Duke paid tribute to the late royal in a video to mark Earth Day which promoted his projects with African Parks. 

In the clip, he said: ‘As we now begin to move towards an era of global recovery and regeneration, it’s critical that we continue to look at strengthening and protecting of biodiversity, not just as a value we hold, but as a way of life. 

Prince Harry, 39, began working with the organisation in 2016 on an elephant relocation project in Malawi

‘On this Earth Day, I reflect on generations of conservation champions, including my late grandfather, and feel proud and energised to continue doing my part in this legacy.

‘This year especially, I join the African Parks team and communities around the world in shared dedication to our environment and collective wellbeing.’

Hope Starts Here, was re-released with Harry’s narration to mark the annual climate change awareness day.

The royal has worked with African Parks since 2016, when he visited Malawi to help translocate 500 elephants in Malawi. Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks, hailed his ‘dedication and commitment’.

Last year, African Parks came under fire after three people were trampled by elephants amid a large translocation operation in Malawi. 

African Parks and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), worked with Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) in July to move more than 260 elephants from the Liwonde national park to Kasungu.

The huge operation saw elephants being carefully hoisted into transportation vehicles by cranes and shuttled across the country in impressive scenes which were filmed for promotional material and at the time were described as being reminiscent of the Disney film Dumbo.

But a village association chairman representing residents living close to Kasungu national park has criticised both African Parks and IFAW, which he accused of ‘caring more about animals than people’ after two villagers in July and a third in September were trampled to death.

Malidadi Langa alleged in comments to The Guardian that the NGOs had not finished installing fencing in the new location, rushing the operation and allowing the elephants to break out of the park.

The DNPW meanwhile stated that all three victims – Collins Chisi, 40, Joseph Blackson, 29 and John Kayedzeka, 30 – got too close to the animals while attempting to take photographs and caused them to attack.