Prince William said he was 'deeply saddened' by the tragic death of wildlife ranger Anton Mzimba as he calls for 'swift justice'.
Mr Mzimba was shot and killed outside his home last night in the Timbavati Game Reserve, according to conservation group Helping Rhinos.
Sharing an update on Twitter, they said: "Head of Ranger at Timbavati, Anton Mzimba, was shot and killed outside of his home last night.
Mzimba was hailed a "wildlife warrior" who fought poaching efforts over the years to keep wildlife safe.
Writing on Twitter, Prince William said: "I’m deeply saddened to learn of the killing of Anton Mzimba who I spoke to in November.
"Committed and brave, rangers like Anton are central to the conservation of Africa’s fantastic wildlife.
"Those responsible must swiftly be brought to justice."
He added: "My thoughts are with his family. W"
Timbavati said Mzimba had dedicated his life to "the protection of a species which has no voice of its own, and uplifting and inspiring the people who he knew needed his support".
Mzimba's conservation career began in 1997 as an erosion fieldworker.
In 1998, after passing his basic field ranger training, he became one of the youngest field rangers at Timbavati.
Prince William is a keen conservationist, collaborating on a number of occasions with WildAid on campaigns promoting rhino, shark, and elephant conservation.
He embarked on a number of major environmental campaigns, including the Earthshot Prize, founded last year to "incentivise change and help to repair our planet".
The £50million initiative aims to fund and promote innovative ways to repair the planet by awarding five, £1million prizes each year for the next ten years.
The Duke is also patron of Tusk, a conservation charity focusing on Africa and in October 2020, he was passed on two further patronages for wildlife conservation charities Fauna & Flora International and the British Trust for Ornithology.
Kensington Palace said the two charities align with his "longstanding work around conservation and support for communities protecting their natural environment for future generations".
