Prince Harry spent 10 years working in the Armed Forces before turning his attention to charitable causes / shutterstock
The African Parks Network is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. At its head is one of the world’s most influential figures – His Royal Highness, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, with support from his wife, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.
Having visited Africa many times, the prince has taken a personal interest in conservation projects, working to protect Africa’s natural heritage and support both wildlife and local communities. This included in 2015 when, after leaving the army following a decade of service, he spent three months working on a number of projects across the African continent.
Harry’s first experience working alongside African Parks was in July 2016 in Malawi, where he served as an integral member of their team, carrying out one of the largest elephant translocations in history, as well as translocating a rhinoceros, a host of game species including antelope, buffalo and zebra. He also assisted in the re-collaring of three lions to help better protect them from poachers.
“There has to be a balance between the numbers of animals and the available habitat, just as nature intended it,” said Harry. “Elephants can’t roam freely like they used to without coming into conflict with communities, or being threatened by poaching and persecution. To allow the coexistence of people and animals, fences are increasingly having to be used.
“African Parks, in partnership with the Malawian government, has re-established a safe area for elephants to move to,” he said.
Named president of African Parks in December 2017 – which, with 13 parks under its management, has the largest area under conservation for any NGO in Africa – Prince Harry’s focus remains on elephants, using the recent Earth Day event on 22 April to highlight the work APN is doing to protect these animals.
“When a fenced area passes its carrying capacity for elephants, they start to encroach into farmland, causing havoc for communities,” says Harry. “APN relocated 500 Elephants to another park within Malawi to reduce the pressure and human-wildlife conflict and disperse tourism.”
In his role as APN president, Harry helps to advance the NGO’s mission in protecting the continent’s national parks and promoting wildlife conservation in Africa and around the world, using his global reach to spread the network’s message: “It’s amazing to see such unbelievable creatures being moved in a way you could never dream of. To be with elephants – such massive beasts – is a unique experience.”
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Prince Harry spent 10 years working in the Armed Forces before turning his attention to charitable causes / shutterstock
The African Parks Network is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. At its head is one of the world’s most influential figures – His Royal Highness, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, with support from his wife, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.
Having visited Africa many times, the prince has taken a personal interest in conservation projects, working to protect Africa’s natural heritage and support both wildlife and local communities. This included in 2015 when, after leaving the army following a decade of service, he spent three months working on a number of projects across the African continent.
Harry’s first experience working alongside African Parks was in July 2016 in Malawi, where he served as an integral member of their team, carrying out one of the largest elephant translocations in history, as well as translocating a rhinoceros, a host of game species including antelope, buffalo and zebra. He also assisted in the re-collaring of three lions to help better protect them from poachers.
“There has to be a balance between the numbers of animals and the available habitat, just as nature intended it,” said Harry. “Elephants can’t roam freely like they used to without coming into conflict with communities, or being threatened by poaching and persecution. To allow the coexistence of people and animals, fences are increasingly having to be used.
“African Parks, in partnership with the Malawian government, has re-established a safe area for elephants to move to,” he said.
Named president of African Parks in December 2017 – which, with 13 parks under its management, has the largest area under conservation for any NGO in Africa – Prince Harry’s focus remains on elephants, using the recent Earth Day event on 22 April to highlight the work APN is doing to protect these animals.
“When a fenced area passes its carrying capacity for elephants, they start to encroach into farmland, causing havoc for communities,” says Harry. “APN relocated 500 Elephants to another park within Malawi to reduce the pressure and human-wildlife conflict and disperse tourism.”
In his role as APN president, Harry helps to advance the NGO’s mission in protecting the continent’s national parks and promoting wildlife conservation in Africa and around the world, using his global reach to spread the network’s message: “It’s amazing to see such unbelievable creatures being moved in a way you could never dream of. To be with elephants – such massive beasts – is a unique experience.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
People profile: Vitali Klitschko
With the help of Europa Park, the multi-time boxing champion turned politician dreams up theme park plan for Kyiv, Ukraine
Rides: Art Attack
We look at major ride openings at
visitor attractions across the globe
Top team: Made in China
The birthplace of William
Shakespeare will be recreated at
the home of China’s most famous
playwright. We speak to the team
behind the ambitious project
Promotional feature: Animalive - Lights, camera, action!
Animalive is a premier manufacturer of interactive animation products.
Its founder, Ali Kord, explains how its recent joint venture will
take the company’s award-winning products to the next level
Museums: Day out at the museum
The Network of European Museum
Organisations has launched a Political
Internships scheme. We speak to
the programme’s creator about what
this could mean for museums
Promotional feature: Red Raion - Building a new IP
Red Raion, the CGI studio specialised in media based attractions, has
collaborated with Unlimited Leisure Holdings to create a new 4D movie, which
will be presented at Unlimited Snow’s newest park
Show report: Global Appeal
TEA Summit and SATE Europe
Christine Kerr reports from the TEA’s
Summit, Thea Awards and SATE Europe
Interview: Pure Imagication
Adlabs Imagica is India’s largest
theme park destination. Its joint
CEO speaks to Kath Hudson
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
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alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
LVMH-owned beauty house Guerlain will launch up to five spas with partners a year as part of
its plan to expand globally, according to the brand’s international spa and wellness director,
Diane Davody.
A new global study by Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich, called WELLSurvey 2.0, has revealed
more than half of consumers in the UK, US and Germany would not choose numerous high-
profile wellness resort brands for a future trip.
Luxury hospitality and wellness pioneer Jeremy McCarthy has launched Leisure Alchemy, a
digital platform that will provide professionals with strategic guidance on how to build
transformational leisure experiences that drive profit.
