Future king Prince William got emotional as he interrupted his family holiday to release a heartbreaking message.
William released an emotional video with a statement on his and Kate Middleton’s official social media account on Thursday.
The Prince and Princess of Wales’ Instagram dedicated a post to rangers who have died while on the job.
William, in his message, wrote: “The Every Ranger remembered. Every legacy carried forward.”
It added: “This World Ranger Day, we pause to honour those who lost their lives protecting wildlife and wild places. Their courage continues to shape the future of conservation. We honour their sacrifice and recognise real and ongoing risks faced by those on the frontline of conservation.
“Their stories matter. Their mission lives on.”
In a moving tribute to the heroes, the heir to the British throne said:”1400 rangers have died in the last ten years, That’s about two a week. They’re unseen and unheard of.”
He continued: “So many of these cases get forgotten about, they don’t get reported, people don’t see them. We all care about our natural world, but we sometimes lose that connection with actually what it’s like living and working in that space. This is now one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet and really it shouldn’t be.”
World Ranger Day takes place on 31 July, and, alongside the statement, were the names of rangers who had died in the line of duty over the last ten years.