Prince William Mourns Park Ranger Who Was Murdered in South Africa: ‘I’m Deeply Saddened’

• The Duke of Cambridge mourns the murder of Anton Mzimba, a South African park ranger.
• Prince William and Kate Middleton posted a note about him on their Twitter account.
• The royal has strong ties with the Timbavati Nature Reserve in South Africa.

The murder of a South African park ranger with whom Prince William spoke last year “deeply saddened” Prince William.

The Duke of Cambridge mourned Anton Mzimba, a head ranger at the Timbavati Nature Reserve, in a personal message posted to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s official Twitter account on Wednesday.

“I’m deeply saddened to learn of Anton Mzimba’s murder, with whom I spoke in November,” William wrote. “Rangers like Anton, who are dedicated and brave, are critical to the conservation of Africa’s incredible wildlife. Those responsible must be brought to justice as soon as possible. My heart goes out to his family.” He signed the note with a “W” to show that the message came from him.

The organisation Helping Rhinos shared a photo of Mzimba, who they said was shot and killed outside his home on Tuesday.

“This comes in the wake of recent death threats and highlights the daily threat that Rangers face,” the organisation wrote on Twitter.

Mzimba’s death was also mourned on social media by Timbavati Nature Reserve, which wrote: “Anton, you have left a legacy that we will cherish and never forget in your honour.

Mr. Anton Mzimba, Head of Ranger Services, who dedicated 25 years of his life to the Timbavati, has died. A true story about a wildlife warrior.”

Last fall, Prince William spoke with Mzimba via video chat while visiting Microsoft’s offices in Reading to learn about a new device to combat ivory smugglers.

According to what the park ranger told William, “This is a highly organised crime. Local residents are involved. However, it eventually crosses the country’s border.”

Prince William is involved with a number of organisations that promote the abolition of illegal wildlife trafficking and the protection of endangered species in Africa, where the royal has strong ties.

“I first fell in love with Africa as a teenager when I spent time in Kenya, Botswana, and Tanzania,” he said at a Royal African Society reception in September 2018. “I was captivated and have wanted to return as often as possible since.”

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