Prince William appreciates landmark operation against illegal wildlife trafficking

Prince William has lauded a groundbreaking achievement in the global battle against illegal wildlife trafficking, highlighting the successful return of nearly 1,000 endangered tortoises and lemurs to Madagascar.

This historic repatriation effort, one of the largest of its kind, followed the rescue of these animals from wildlife traffickers in Thailand earlier this year. 

The operation disrupted plans to sell the creatures in the illegal pet trade, thanks to the intervention of Thai authorities.

The mission was part of an international collaboration involving the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wildlife Justice Commission. Arrests were made in both Thailand and Madagascar as a result of the operation.

The Royal Foundation's United for Wildlife programme played a pivotal role in the success of the mission by leveraging its Transport Taskforce members to support the efforts. Prince William commended the collective action, emphasising the importance of partnerships in tackling wildlife crime and protecting endangered species.

Prince William said regarding the achievement: "This is an unprecedented feat for the fight against the illegal wildlife trade and demonstrates the immeasurable value of global cooperation in putting an end to these supply chains.

"Movements like this are only possible thanks to the work of United for Wildlife’s incredible partner organisations.

"We must look to this collaborative model for future operations to ensure we are acting swiftly and safely to remove animals from the hands of criminals and return them to their natural habitats."

He said: "I’m proud of UNODC’s contribution to this operation, including supporting the repatriation process. The nature of the operation highlights the importance of collaboration with the private sector, civil society, and international partners to combat wildlife crime, and I hope this success helps inform future efforts to tackle the illegal wildlife trade."