Prince William attends event calling for action to save elephants

Independent owner Evgeny Lebedev hosted the dinner to highlight the urgent need to protect Africa’s elephants from extinction

Evgeny Lebedev with HRH Prince William and Dr Max Graham, CEO of Space for Giants

The Duke of Cambridge was guest of honour at a charity event last night to celebrate the Giants Club, the conservation initiative backed by The Independent which works on the ground to protect Africa’s elephants and the landscapes they depend on.

The dinner, which was hosted by the Giants Club’s Patron, Evgeny Lebedev, at the Kensington Palace state apartments, saw Prince William join a crowd of philanthropists and influencers to celebrate Space for Giants’ achievements and discuss future goals.

Prince William wasn’t the only Prince to attend, as among the African dignitaries present was Ugandan Prince Hassan Kimbugwe. Other guests included experts from frontline elephant protection, such as Kitili Mbathi, the head of the Kenya Wildlife Service, and Professor Lee White, the head of national parks in Gabon.

Dr. Max Graham, CEO of the Giants Club’s implementation charity Space for Giants, said: “Despite well intentioned commitments made at recent international conservation forums, demand for ivory remains high and therefore elephants remain at real risk of being wiped out from the landscapes they have roamed for centuries.

“We urgently need to scale up investment in frontline protection for Africa’s elephants, as well ensuring the legal penalties for wildlife crimes are robust and effectively implemented.

“We were honoured to be joined by distinguished guests, including HRH Prince William, to cultivate high level support from the world's most prominent key influencers and philanthropists for the plight of Africa's elephants and the landscapes they depend on.”

The Duke of Cambridge has long been a powerful advocate for the protection of elephants and conservation across Africa, and has made the tackling of wildlife crime a personal cause.

In November the second-in-line to the throne gave an impassioned speech calling for a total ban on ivory trade in UK, saying endangered animals are still being slaughtered in 'horrifying numbers'.

HRH also lobbied the presidents of China, the US and African countries to strengthen protection, after citing fears that the African elephant will have disappeared from the wild due to poaching by the time his one-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte turns 25.

The Giants Club was launched by the Presidents of Kenya, Botswana, Uganda and Gabon with the aim of protecting 50% of Africa’s elephants by 2020. It brings together African Heads of State, global business leaders and elephant protection experts, operates projects across the continent to protect elephants in the wild.