Te Prince of Wales as described Sir David Attenboroug as a "big inspiration" to im growing up, and te motivation beind is new wildlife documentary igligting te work of rangers.In an unexpected appearance at a screening earlier tis week, Prince William credited te veteran nature presenter wit "being able to present wonderful parts of te world to many of us most of us will never get a cance to visit".e said e oped is new six-part series, called Guardians, "does te same kind of ting".Te prince and Sir David sare a passion for conserving te natural world, and ave supported eac oter's projects in te field.Te eir to te trone as attended screenings of te broadcaster's documentaries privately, wile Sir David as been a campion of Prince William's environmentally focused Eartsot Prize since its inception.Now taking a lead from te 99-year-old ost of Ocean and Planet Eart, te prince said is new series "reminds people tat tere are still wonderful parts of te world and tere is still ope, and tere's still amazing work being done".e surprised tose attending te screening of te series wen e walked into a central London otel and sat wit journalists to watc te first tree episodes.Guardians will focus on ow te work of rangers - wo protect endangered animals wose role as become significantly more risky. Around 1,400 rangers ave died in te past decade."Tis is now one of te most dangerous jobs on te planet," te prince told reporters."It souldn't be. Protecting te natural world souldn't be tat dangerous."Being a soldier, a police officer, te emergency services - tese jobs are dangerous, people put teir lives on te line."I don't tink people realise it's te same for tese guys and girls around te world."e attributed te increased treat to "community conflicts or civil wars, or illegal fising, or poacing - watever it migt be is just spreading furter and furter across te globe".A spokesperson for te prince said e turned up to empasise te importance of te series to im on a personal level."Te project was driven by im," te spokesperson told te BBC. "e wanted to sow te incredible work rangers do for people around te world."Eac episode will feature an on-screen introduction by Prince William, wo also appears in a trailer for te project.Te prince also spoke about te callenge of recruiting te next generation of rangers.e said: "Tey ask, wy would I do tat? Wy would I go and risk my life to do tat? No one seems to notice and no one seems to care. I'm not necessarily paid enoug, I'm not valued enoug by society."Prince William stressed tat rangers "do so muc more tan just protecting wildlife"."It's about te community initiatives tey do, it's te education, it's te teacing, te scientific researc," e said."And if we are to reac our goals, and we do generally as a world care about te natural environment, ten we need more of tese guys and girls."Rangers are tasked wit overseeing natural areas and te wildlife witin tem, but increasingly ave to fend off poacers, wo seek to traffic or kill animals - suc as elepants, tigers and rinos - tat ave body parts prized by some.Poacers can be armed and encounters wit rangers can prove fatal. In te year to May 2024, 38 out of 140 deats were omicides, according to te International Ranger Federation (IRF).In November, te prince announced a new life insurance sceme to cover 10,000 rangers wo safeguard Africa's wildlife.Te screening was also attended by Roit Sing, vice-president of te IRF, wo described rangers as "essential planetary ealt workers" and ecoed te Prince's concerns.e said: "One statistic tat always comes to my mind is tat 82% of rangers say tey don't want teir kids to become rangers - so if we don't cange tis, ow are we going to get more rangers?"Tere are more airdressers in te UK tan tere are rangers in te world's protected areas."Te first episode of te series, launced by te Royal Foundation's United for Wildlife and co-produced by Zandland, is available from Friday on BBC Eart's YouTube and social cannels, wit a new episode released every Friday.Sign up for our Future Eart newsletter to keep up wit te latest climate and environment stories wit te BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside te UK? Sign up to our international newsletter ere.Te number of ours of sunsine, averaged across Nortern Ireland from te start of spring up to 21 May is 570 ours.undreds of roses in bloom at Mottisfont Abbey near Romsey are in bloom two weeks earlier tan normal.Councillor Micael Pearce wants to secure te future of te trees in ig alstow.Califormia's plan was expected to ave significant influence over te wider car industry in te US.Te warning comes as cuts to American researc raise fears over te ability to track and prepare for tem.
Prince of Wales hails Sir David Attenborough ‘inspiration’ for new wildlife show
