Prince Harry Leaving the Army (June 2015): What will he do now?

[cepe]

To be accurate, Harry's own words, it is about chasing animals.

Harry's African trip is joy ride. It is Harry continuing his hunt for trophies. In Australia he was pictured sitting on a crocodile. In Africa, it will be photos of Harry with lions, elephants and tigers.

It is the great white hunter without the gun.

Why dont you revisit the great post #135. This trip isnt about being a great white hunter, it is about conservation. You seem to have completely missed the point

 

[Queen Camilla]

It is about chasing animals. It is not about conservation. It is Harry, the great white hunter, going on his African expedition.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Prince Harry does a lot more for the royal family then Prince William and his the future king of England. I think Prince Harry deserves a three month trip to Africa. I don't think it will be all fun and games, I think He knows it's time for him to figure out what he wants to do for a career and were he wants his life to go. At 31 Harry has done a lot and has step up and took on more royal duties for the Queen. He isn't setting on his butt like William and Kate.

When has Harry done more for the RF than William?

This year, for instance, William has done 48 engagements to Harry's 37.

Harry hasn't taken on more for The Queen than William - facts show that quite clearly.

 

[Roslyn]

Modern conservation is about management of the natural resources to achieve balance and maintain biodiversity, and always bearing in mind the competing interests of man and the natural world. The more man expands his territory, the less land is available for the animals, and where the interests of man and animal clash, it is rarely the animals that win, and even rarer for the plants to prevail.

Conservation is vitally important, and there are many elements to it. A lot of money is required to do the research that is necessary into the animal and plant populations that need protection and management, to find out what their needs are and how they interact with each other and with the human beings who share their space, and how best to cater for and manage all those competing needs to achieve an outcome which is a satisfactory balance for all.

And the interests of biodiversity require research not just into the big ticket animals like elephants and lions and tigers and pandas, but also the worms and moulds and other less attractive but equally vital elements that make the biosphere function properly.

And once the research is done, the work of putting together management plans and making the arrangements necessary to put those plans into effect begins. Human communities up to government level have to be approached and convinced.

The more high profile people who lend their support, especially their time, to the cause of conservation, the more that will be able to be achieved. I think that it would be wonderful if Harry were to make conservation a major project of his. A lot can be achieved by someone with such a high profile. Harry knows how much good his mother did for the causes to which she lent her time and her name. I think he plans on being more hands on than Diana could be, and I think his interest and contribution is a very good thing for conservation. I don't begrudge him some fun trips in safari vehicles while he's in Africa devoting his time to the sustainable management of the species they're chasing and watching.

 

[Curryong]

I do think that Harry is serious about this trip,which will concentrate on conservation and sustainable management. It's not about killing anything, and the idea of Harry as 'a great white hunter' is laughable.

I do think that Harry will continue, in between royal engagements, with the two main thrusts of his life so far, (besides his army career, of course) care and rehabilitation of the wounded and care of the disadvantaged in poor regions of Africa like Lesotho. If conservation, in both Africa and in Britain can be added to this, now he has left the army, all the better.

 

[Osipi]

There is so much more to conservation of wildlife than standing up at a podium espousing how we should be protecting these animals. Who are the ones that are actively doing so though? Its the park ranger and the veterinarians that do the day to day footwork. To study these animals, they need to be tagged and kept an eye on, to study and watch them in their native environment. There's the 'great white hunters with guns' otherwise known as poachers that need to be kept in line and the list goes on and on.

To be a conservationist and be able to stand up and espouse at a podium whether its for the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry or any other organization that can be thought of, it is far more convincing to make an argument by not only being able to "talk the talk" but also to know how to "walk the walk".

Maybe its just me but I don't see getting actively involved in what needs to be done in this area as a great "walk in the park" safari to see what he can "bag" as a trophy but actually will be a learning experience that will educate him in a role he's already pledged to stand up and champion for.

No matter how you look at the Wales brothers, they're definitely not marionettes programmed to cut ribbons and unveil plaques on demand but real flesh and blood human beings that, just like us, have to find their own way to contribute to the world around them in ways that mean something to them.

 

[Curryong]

By the way, does anyone know if William has gone to view his brother's garden at the Chelsea Flower Show? He didn't last year.

 

[Queen Camilla]

I see this as another holiday for Harry. It is the great white hunter and he'll be photographed with a gun next to a big game.

The pictures may or may not appear in the media but he'll be there with the animals and the gun. The gun may or may not be a tranquilizer but I'll stake my last penny on it, he will have his trophies from Africa.

Conservation Harry style, sitting on a crocodile.

 

[Osipi]

Let's assume for a minute that this 3 month down time in Africa is nothing more than a glorified safari vacation for Harry. It will be time off for his own pursuits and definitely has the "green flag, all systems are go" from the Queen.

I seriously doubt there will be any kind of pictures that will come out of this. Harry, himself, has stated that he doesn't wish to make public where he is going or who he is doing this with as he's going to work and wishes to be left alone by the public.

I think he deserves it.

 

[Curryong]

Well, we will see, I guess, in the months to come as to whether any pictures appear of Harry with gun and dead animals.

He may have to help anaesthetise them in order to move them from poachers for example.

I don't believe for a minute that Harry is going to Africa to be 'a great white hunter'. He said in his interview that he wanted to be of use and whatever they wanted him to do to help he would do.

 

[MARG]

At nearly 31, Harry does not appear to know where his life is going. A three month safari trip to Africa. This is not something that will lead to a career. He stated he did not intend to become a full time royal and wanted to experience working among normal people. A trip to Africa chasing animals does not sound like a career but an adventure for a rich white kid.

To be fair, Harry's interests in Africa lean more to needy humans than safaris.

To be accurate, Harry's own words, it is about chasing animals.

Harry's African trip is joy ride. It is Harry continuing his hunt for trophies. In Australia he was pictured sitting on a crocodile. In Africa, it will be photos of Harry with lions, elephants and tigers.

It is the great white hunter without the gun.

It is about chasing animals. It is not about conservation. It is Harry, the great white hunter, going on his African expedition.

Well, since he is supposed to be traveling with a noted Vet and there are great distances to cover, I guess he will "be on safari", but it's obvious that some read the news and some people read into the news. Time will tell as to what actually does happen.

Me? If he is going to be speaking about conservation in Africa, I will find him just a little more credible if he has actually been there and seen what needs to be done.

 

[Roslyn]

He said in his interview that he wanted to be of use and whatever they wanted him to do to help he would do.

If Harry is anything like his father, and I believe he is, when he says he wants to be "of use" what this means is that he will be spending a great deal of time, and probably also his own money, doing what needs to be done and learning more about the problems, and as his knowledge increases he will be devising plans and putting them into action. In Charles he has a wonderful example.

 

[Queen Camilla]

Well, since he is supposed to be traveling with a noted Vet and there are great distances to cover, I guess he will "be on safari", but it's obvious that some read the news and some people read into the news. Time will tell as to what actually does happen.

Me? If he is going to be speaking about conservation in Africa, I will find him just a little more credible if he has actually been there and seen what needs to be done.

I see him as a hypocrite and an imperialist.

His yearly jaunts to shoot wild boars and stags in Spain.

Yet this European is going to Africa to teach the native population or is it to preach to the native population about conservation.

The animals that are endangered or extinct were once plentiful. The wild boar may be plentiful now but may be extinct in a few decades.

A Brit who goes to Spain to kill wild animals and then preaches about conservation, is a hypocrite in anyone's book.

 

[Roslyn]

Harry and his fellow hunters are not going to lead to the Wild Boar becoming endangered. The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is one of the widest ranging mammals in the world. Its wide range, high numbers, and adaptability mean it is classed as "least concern" by the IUCN. The species' numbers are monitored and have been for decades. Their numbers need to be controlled by hunting, it's just a question of correctly assessing bag limits.
http://www.themessengerinspain.com/allthingsspanish/florafauna/florafaunapdfs/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20PDF-%20Wild%20boar%20in%20Spain.pdf
http://www.ivb.cz/folia/61/2/6_066.pdf

I wish they'd come over here and have a go at our feral pigs. They are a real environmental pest and cause a huge amount of damage and need to be eliminated.

 

[Elenath]

I see him as a hypocrite and an imperialist.

His yearly jaunts to shoot wild boars and stags in Spain.

Yet this European is going to Africa to teach the native population or is it to preach to the native population about conservation.

The animals that are endangered or extinct were once plentiful. The wild boar may be plentiful now but may be extinct in a few decades.

A Brit who goes to Spain to kill wild animals and then preaches about conservation, is a hypocrite in anyone's book.

Perhaps you should remove the word anyone's because you are not speaking on my behalve. This is your opinion and you are antitled to having it, but not everyone shares your opinion.

 

[Pranter]

I wish they'd come over here and have a go at our feral pigs. They are a real environmental pest and cause a huge amount of damage and need to be eliminated.

No kidding...here in just the lower half of my state the conservation department said there are at least 5000 wild pigs....and that was 10 years ago. They asked that they be shot on sight. There are dozens of states here with the same story.

Ethical/legal Hunters are conservationists. They keep the populations healthy by managed hunting. We have over 1 million deer here in my state...they have extra hunts almost every year to thin out populations in certain areas.


LaRae

 

[Curryong]

You're not speaking on my behalf, either, Queen Camilla. Harry is no imperialist. He is sincere, I believe, in his desire to help in the conservation area, and good on him for wanting to do it.

 

[Elenath]

No kidding...here in just the lower half of my state the conservation department said there are at least 5000 wild pigs....and that was 10 years ago. They asked that they be shot on sight. There are dozens of states here with the same story.

Ethical/legal Hunters are conservationists. They keep the populations healthy by managed hunting. We have over 1 million deer here in my state...they have extra hunts almost every year to thin out populations in certain areas.


LaRae

I agree. About 5 yrs ago I was in NZ and people there told about the huge numbers of possums that ruined the native (sometimes endangered) flora and fauna. They were paying people to please shoot them. Same for deer in Fiordland.

 

[Pranter]

Most states (if not all) here have a 'share the harvest program'. Anyone who hunts but doesn't want the meat donates it to the food banks/soup kitchens etc. Thousands and thousands of pounds of meat are donated annually for the needy/poor.


LaRae

 

[muriel]

Harry and his fellow hunters are not going to lead to the Wild Boar becoming endangered. The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is one of the widest ranging mammals in the world. Its wide range, high numbers, and adaptability mean it is classed as "least concern" by the IUCN. The species' numbers are monitored and have been for decades. Their numbers need to be controlled by hunting, it's just a question of correctly assessing bag limits.
http://www.themessengerinspain.com/.../Microsoft Word - PDF- Wild boar in Spain.pdf
http://www.ivb.cz/folia/61/2/6_066.pdf

I wish they'd come over here and have a go at our feral pigs. They are a real environmental pest and cause a huge amount of damage and need to be eliminated.

Perhaps you should remove the word anyone's because you are not speaking on my behalve. This is your opinion and you are antitled to having it, but not everyone shares your opinion.

Very well put!

 

[Elenath]

Most states (if not all) here have a 'share the harvest program'. Anyone who hunts but doesn't want the meat donates it to the food banks/soup kitchens etc. Thousands and thousands of pounds of meat are donated annually for the needy/poor.


LaRae

Really?? That's great. Wish people would do that here.

 

[Pranter]

Really?? That's great. Wish people would do that here.

Yes! It started over a decade ago...at first the hunters had to pay for all the meat processing then insurance companies got involved and paid for the processing (lots of damage from deer/auto collisions) ...now I think at least several processors donate their services for those dropping off meat for the program and/or it's paid thru donations.

IF you are interested in reading about it here's a link from my state department of conservation Share the Harvest | Missouri Department of Conservation My state alone donated over 200 thousand pounds of meat last year.


LaRae

 

[Queen Camilla]

Westerns seem to think it is okay to kill animals that they deem are pests or destructive but when Asians or Africans do the same thing it is wrong.

Westerns lecture the developing nations (none Westerns) to to conserve water and resources while the West waste water on their lawns and flower gardens and to fill their swimming pools.

What does Harry know about conservation that he can teach Africans?

Ten people living in a single room using the same water to bathe VS....

 

[Elenath]

Westerns seem to think it is okay to kill animals that they deem are pests or destructive but when Asians or Africans do the same thing it is wrong.

Westerns lecture the developing nations (none Westerns) to to conserve water and resources while the West waste water on their lawns and flower gardens and to fill their swimming pools.

You know perfectly no one here is critisising Africans or Asians for killing pests. And killing pests is not the same is killing endangered species.

Are you by any chance a member of Peta??

 

[Queen Camilla]

Elenath, you have misunderstood the post.

Lost of habitat is the main reason for endangered species. These Asian and African animals are viewed the same as the badgers, the deers and boars in Western countries.

Asian elephants destroy crops, lions and tigers get too close to humans. These animals compete with humans for resources. African elephant tusks and rhino horns bring income.

 

[Elenath]

Elenath, you have misunderstood the post.

Lost of habitat is the main reason for endangered species. These Asian and African animals are viewed the same as the badgers, the deers and boars in Western countries.

Asian elephants destroy crops, lions and tigers get too close to humans. These animals compete with humans for resources. African elephant tusks and rhino horns bring income.

I understood your post perfectly fine but I still maintain there is a difference between killing animals who are endangered or animals who are not. I'm not a big fan of hunting, but I can see the difference between killing a rabbit for food and killing an endangered rhino for it's horn. There are plenty of rabbits but only a few rhino's.
So.. for me there is a difference between Harry hunting in Spain and Harry maybe hunting in Africa. I don't care about the first (even though it's not a thing I would do), but he'd loose my respect if he went hunting in Africa. In the mean time I'm not going to condemn someone for a thing he hasn't done yet.

 

[Osipi]

I understood your post perfectly fine but I still maintain there is a difference between killing animals who are endangered or animals who are not. I'm not a big fan of hunting, but I can see the difference between killing a rabbit for food and killing an endangered rhino for it's horn. There are plenty of rabbits but only a few rhino's.
So.. for me there is a difference between Harry hunting in Spain and Harry maybe hunting in Africa. I don't care about the first (even though it's not a thing I would do), but he'd loose my respect if he went hunting in Africa. In the mean time I'm not going to condemn someone for a thing he hasn't done yet.

When one stops to think about it, a hunt to cull the number of a certain animal such as the wild boar can be called a conservation effort. It is done legally and within restrictions set by a certain area. This is what determines the difference between a hunter and a poacher.

I don't think I've ever seen the two words "Harry" and "gun" put together at all as far as this sojourn in Africa is concerned. I did hear "darts" and "work" and "vet" and "park ranger" though. I'm willing to bet my last corn flake that the term "hunting" has never even crossed Harry's mind when it comes to his time in Africa.

 

[Mirabel]

Yet this European is going to Africa to teach the native population or is it to preach to the native population about conservation.

I tend to agree, up to a point.
It seems rather condescending on Harry's part. (Although I think his intentions are good).

It's admirable to do charity and conservation work, but why not do so in his own country? It's not like there aren't plenty of opportunities right at home.

But to go trotting off to Africa to fix things...it does looks patronizing. If I were one of the locals, I know I'd resent it.

 

[Osipi]

But to go trotting off to Africa to fix things...it does looks patronizing. If I were one of the locals, I know I'd resent it.

Maybe I read things wrong but I don't recall reading anywhere that he'll be in Africa to work with the local population but rather to aid and assist veterinarians and park rangers with the jobs they're required to do in the interest of African wildlife.

I think we're not even going to know what area of Africa he'll be in or be clued in on whatever he does so I think that will pretty much put him off the radar at being spotted and his activities commented on.

 

[Elenath]

I tend to agree, up to a point.
It seems rather condescending on Harry's part. (Although I think his intentions are good).

It's admirable to do charity and conservation work, but why not do so in his own country? It's not like there aren't plenty of opportunities right at home.

But to go trotting off to Africa to fix things...it does looks patronizing. If I were one of the locals, I know I'd resent it.

The West has been doing charity work in Africa for the last 70 yrs. The result is negligent, but still... Should we stop doing that as well? I'd be for it to be honest. It sometimes seems charity work there does more harm than good.