Prince William’s new series highlights Sri Lankan vets’ rescue work

• It praises rehabilitating elephants, leopards and other wildlife and mitigating human-elephant conflict

Prince William and The Royal Foundation’s United for  Wildlife programme today launched a groundbreaking new docuseries titled  ‘Guardians’, which, among others showers praise on Sri Lankan  veterinary experts for working tirelessly to rehabilitate elephants,  leopards, and other wildlife, while balancing patrolling duties and  mitigating human-elephant conflicts, according to a press release from  the Foundation.   

Guardians will be released on the Diamond Creator Award-winning BBC Earth’s YouTube and social channels from Friday, 23rd May,  with a gripping new episode launching each week.   

As a digital-first series, each 6–10-minute episode offers  exclusive access and first-hand accounts of the lives of rangers and  nature protectors as they urgently work to conserve biodiversity and  ecosystems.   

The series, which was the brainchild of Prince William and  to which he has voiced the trailer and individual episode introductions,  aims to showcase these unsung heroes and highlight how their work  impacts us all.   

The six-part series immerses viewers in the unique worlds  of the Guardians, whereby we encounter incredible individuals who make  huge sacrifices to safeguard the planet’s most threatened environments. 

From the snowy mountains of the Himalayas to the remote  rainforests of Brazil, the series is filmed in some of the most  breathtaking yet challenging locations that the Guardians call home,  with each episode highlighting the pivotal role of these inspirational  individuals.   

Prince William said:   

“I’ve had the privilege of meeting a number of rangers  throughout my life and have seen firsthand the vital work they do. Yet  their stories are often overlooked or misunderstood. The reality is that  protecting our natural world has become one of the most dangerous jobs  on the planet. We need to understand and recognise Nature’s Guardians,  and the critical work they do.   

“The rangers we meet in this series are an inspiration to  us all. Every day, they take huge risks as nature’s frontline of  defence, standing between poachers and endangered species, supporting  sustainable human-animal coexistence and fighting habitat loss.   

“As they work to protect our oceans, our forests, our  plains, our mountains and biodiversity, they are also educating,  community building and furthering science. These are the unsung heroes —  the true Guardians of the natural world, defending nature and the  future of the planet for all of us.” Through his decades of work in the  nature conservation sector and his ongoing work with United for Wildlife, Prince William has spent a great deal of time  understanding and championing the work of rangers. He has seen  first-hand the critical work they undertake and the myriad threats they  face on a daily basis, with many tragically losing their lives whilst  defending nature.
Dr Tom Clements, Executive Director of Nature Conservation, said:   

“The role of a ranger stretches far beyond just protecting  wildlife. They are educators, community supporters, researchers and  scientists, from governments, organisations, local communities and  Indigenous Peoples. They preserve cultural heritage, and they help  safeguard and regulate the sustainable use of our planet’s most precious  natural resources.   

“Without the critical work of these guardians, there is no  guarantee of the future of thousands of animal and plant species, let  alone food security, clean water, or a functioning, stable economy for  the human population.”