William launches online plea to gamers over dangers of poaching

Prince William warned the “illegal slaughter of tens of thousands of animals” is pushing species “to the brink of extinction” and bankrolling criminal and terrorist gangs.

His message was recorded to launch an online tournament of a new Angry Birds game which features animated Pangolins - a species of scaly ant-eaters and one of the most world’s endangered animals.

Any of the estimated 200 million Angry Bird players worldwide can log in to play the game, which has been created with 
William’s United for Wildlife charity.

In the message, William warned that without urgent action, some of the world’s most-loved creatures will die out within a generation.

He urged players to unite to “save magnificent creatures”.

The game, called Roll With The Pangolins, has been launched with Angry Birds creators Rovio Entertainment.

United for Wildlife officials hope the huge popularity of the game, particularly in Asia, will help their anti-poaching message reach millions.

Pangolins are hunted for their meat and their scales, which are used in traditional medicines.

Despite a commercial trade ban for wild caught pangolins, more than one million of them have been traded in the last decade, according to United for Wildlife. The week-long tournament launched online today.