Duke of Cambridge teams up with Angry Birds to raise wildlife crime awareness

<![CDATA[United for Wildlife, a collaboration headed by the Duke of Cambridge of seven of the world’s most influential conservation organisations, has teamed up with the world-famous online game Angry Birds in order to raise awareness of the crimes against wildlife and conservation.

To raise understanding of the threats a number of animal species across the world face, United for Wildlife and Angry Birds have created an online tournament called “Roll with the Pangolins”. In the game, players will come across a Pangolin – a scaly ant-eater who is currently one of the most critically endangered and most trafficked animals found in the world. The online tournament begins today and will continue for a week on Angry Birds Friends.
Angry Birds has an estimated amount of 200 million players, and the makers of the game are therefore determined to make their staggering amount of players more aware of the critical threats many species of animals face through playing this game.
A key idea behind the making of the game was to make younger generations conscious of how the illegal wildlife trades and poaching can lead to extinction of some of our world’s animals in the not-too distant future. As Angry Birds has such a vast global audience, it is hoped that through this tournament players, especially those in countries where there is a high demand for illegal wildlife products, will be able to learn about crimes against animals and endangered species.
To show his support for the campaign, Prince William has recorded a video to encourage gamers to get involved in the online tournament and broaden their awareness of wildlife crimes and the threats of extinction.
The Duke has commented: “By spreading the message about poaching, I hope you can be part of a movement that says no to poached ivory and rhino horn, and many other animal parts. With the help of Angry Birds, we have created an Angry Birds Friends tournament for the Pangolins, so you can have some fun while learning more about them and the wider issue of poaching.”

Over one million Pangolins have been hunted and traded in the last ten years, despite attempts to ban the trade of wild caught Pangolins. Many are caught for their meat and their scales, which are reported to be used in some medicines. By taking part in the “Roll With The Pangolins” tournament, players will be able to learn more about this specie of animal. Once the game has been completed, participants will be encouraged to visit the United for Wildlife website to learn more about what the organisation does and the ways in which they can prevent and stop this illegal trade.
United for Wildlife was first established by The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The organisations involved in the conservation partnership include: Conservation International, Fauna & Flora International, International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF-UK, and The Zoological Society of London.
picture credit: United for Wildlife/YouTube]]>