Prince William visited Port Lympne Wild Animal Park to meet
three endangered black rhinos before they were reintroduced into
the wild.

HRH The Duke of Cambridge flew to the park near Folkestone by
helicopter last week. He was greeted by owner Damian Aspinall
before being given a private tour.

The Prince later came face to face with five-year-old
female rhino Zawadi and even took part in hand feeding
her.

He called for action to stop poaching out in Africa and spoke of
his hope that rhinos will still be around for future
generations.

"Rhinos are very vulnerable animals and I think a lot of people
don't realise what happens and how rhino horn, or ivory, ends up in
a particular area," he said.

"They are the most incredible things and do we really want to
live in a world in 20, 30 years down the line where there's no such
thing as a 'big five' (elephants, lions, rhino, cape buffalo and
leopards).

"It'll be the big four, then possibly the big three and then
where do we go after that?

"Are our grandchildren ever going to be able to see the big
five? I think that's terribly sad and that should never
happen."

Prince William meets
Damian Aspinall at Port Lymne Wild Animal Park. Picture: Getty
Images

Rhino Zawadi, along with female Grumeti and male Monduli,
were later transported to Manston airport before being flown out to
Tanzania.

Mr Aspinall said: "‘This represents a massive step in the unique
ambitions of our foundation. We have always been passionately
committed to restocking natural habitats with species which have
become critically endangered."

The move is just one of the pioneering conservation charity’s
goals this year, with other captive born animals expected to be
released to the wild over the next few months and into
2013.