William pays tribute to ‘immense sacrifices' of rangers after fatal attack
Ranger Mario Cristovao was injured and a further two scouts remain unaccounted for.
This attack is yet another brutal reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those protecting our natural world.
The reality is that being a ranger has become one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. My thoughts are with all those affected and their families. W https://t.co/GVlzIdmTGH
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 7, 2025
In a personally signed message on X, William called their jobs 'one of the most dangerous' in the world.
'This attack is yet another brutal reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those protecting our natural world,' he said.
'The reality is that being a ranger has become one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet.
'My thoughts are with all those affected and their families. W'
He reposted a UFW statement which said: 'Our heartfelt condolences go to the families and colleagues of Domingos and Fernando as well as the severely injured scout Mario Cristovao who we hope makes a full recovery.
'Our thoughts are also with the families of the two scouts that remain unaccounted for, we pray for their safe return and know the team in Niassa are doing everything possible to find them.
'Rangers are on the frontline of nature protection, and these devastating acts of violence are a stark reminder of the grave danger these individuals face on a daily basis.
'This highlights the critical need to increase our efforts to support the crucial work of nature's guardians.'
In November last year, the prince announced a new life insurance cover for rangers who safeguard Africa's wildlife.
In his keynote speech at the UFW summit, William described the workers as 'guardians of our planet's most precious resources' as he outlined the five-year Ranger Welfare and Standards Initiative, providing 10,000 rangers working across Africa with access to the financial scheme.
He said: 'Rangers are fundamental if we are to meet our global conservation targets for 2030 and prevent the dangerous tipping points that threaten our planet.
'These people do far more than protect wildlife. They are educators. They are community supporters. And they help regulate the sustainable use of natural resources.'
The future king is royal patron of the Africa-based wildlife charity Tusk Trust and in 2022 he paid tribute to 'committed and brave' ranger Anton Mzimba who was shot and killed outside his home that year.
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BBC News
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How to protect your pikin against sexual abuse dis holidays according to sabi pipo
As school children don begin dia long holidays, many parents and guardian dey scratch head on how dem go handle all di pikin wey dey house. Some don begin plan activities wey go engage di children, like holiday lessons, language classes and oda skills acquisition programmes but gender rights activist say as parents and guardians dey plan for dis holiday make dem also plan how to protect dem against sexual abuse. According to Tombari Dumka Kote, di coordinator of di Rivers State Response Team on Violence against Women and Children, from dia records and recent statistics, na during holiday period many small children dey fall victim to sexual abuse, defilement and rape. "We don observe say most patents during di holiday period dey lose guard and pay less attention to dia children as dem dey leave dem to di mercy of maids for house. "During holiday, di children dey house with di perpetrators of dis abuse wey usually be pesin wey dey close and familiar wit dem. So more often, such violators dey get a field day with such children wey dia parents no dey watchful," she tok. Dr Emem Okon, di executive director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, add say children always dey vulnerable to abuse weda dem dey for house, for school or for public places, particularly among pipo dem know becos most times na pipo wey dem already know and trust na dem dey take advantage of dia innocence. Wit dis holiday period, children go spend more time for house or get outings and holiday travels so e dey important for parents and guardians to dey extra vigilant wit dia children. 10 tips parents/guardians fit take to prevent possible sexual violation Some tips dis gender rights advocates give wey parents and guardians fit adopt to protect dia children against sexual violation include: 1. Awareness: E dey important for parents and guardians to dey aware of di fact say children dey vulnerable to sexual violations especially during dis holiday period. Dis awareness go make dem to dey watchful and put eye for dia pikin dem. Be on alert. 2. Properly screen caregivers wey dey take care of di children. Do background checks on di house help wey you engage. Also ask questions about di pipo wey dey manage di holiday lessons and activities wey you want your children to participate in. Ask wetin dem put in place to protect di children against such violations. 3. Get good and open communication with your children. Allow your children to communicate wit you freely so dem fit discuss anytin wit you wey dey happen around dem. Listen to di children wen dem dey tok to you so you fit pick signals wey dem dey give too. 4. Give di children proper sex education. Tell dem di areas for dia bodi wey anoda pesin no fit touch and encourage dem to report to you wen pesin touch dem inappropriately. Wen you educate dem right, you don empower dem against sexual abuse. 5. Guide wia your children dey go. Say na holiday period no mean say na evriwia dem wan go you go allow dem go. No be must say dem gatz visit any relative, try spend time and interact wit dem too. 6. Monitor di online or digital activities of your children for dia smart devices. Dis go protect dem against online exposure and abuse and sextortion from online perpetrators. 7. Organisers of holiday activities also suppose profile di pipo dem dey engage to care for di children. You fit get good mind but di pipo you engage fit no get same mind wit you - so monitor and closely supervise how dem dey engage wit di children. 8. Make di children know di names of dia parents/guardians apart from Mummy and Daddy. Make dem also know di names of di teachers/facilitators wey dey teach dem. Make dem also know dia house address too. 9. Teach dem not to accept gifts from strangers, even from pipo dem know. If dem take, teach dem not to use dat tin until dem don show Mummy or Daddy. Dis go guard against grooming so dem no go dey easily lured by di gifts from potential violators. 10. Encourage dem to report any case of bullying. Make dem no feel shy to report anybodi wey bully dem weda na pikin like dem or na adult. Signs to watch out for in case of abuse In as much as e good to take steps to prevent such violation make e no happen, Dr. Emem Okon say e also good make parents also know wetin to look out for in case sexual abuse don happen and dis include: 1. Withdrawal: Wen you notice say di pikin no be im or her normal sef, e don dey withdraw, e dey unusually quiet and no dey express demsef di way dem normally dey do, e good to probe and try to find out wetin don happen to make dem behave so. 2. Observe how di children dey react to each pesin for house and even for di holiday programme so you go notice wen dia behaviour change. Note if dem dey fear or dey avoid any pesin, and try to find out why. 3. Listen to wetin di children dey tok about di pipo around dem. 4. Check di bodi of small children especially wen dem dey baff to know wetin dey normal and wetin dey off. Wetin to do in case sexual abuse happen? In di event say di pikin don dey violated, Dr. Okon advise say e no good to shout in front of di pikin or blame di pikin as dat wan go add to di trauma of di pikin. "Put di blame on di violator, not di pikin. But most times out of anger, di parents or guardians go shout on and even beat di pikin. Dat one dey add to di shock and trauma wey di pikin already dey suffer. E good to handle am wit wisdom and get a professional becos dis na delicate issue wey fit affect dat pikin throughout im or her lifetime." She tok. Both Tombari Dumka Kote and Dr. Emem Okon advise di following steps: 1. Report to hospital for medical care of di victim to avoid any complications, issues of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. 2. Proper therapy/counselling for di pikin and di parents/guardians dey important on wetin don happen and how dem fit come out of am. 3. Report perpetrators to di police, state response teams on sexual abuse, (as many states don establish such teams) like di Rivers State Response Team hotlines wey also dey available and pipo fit come report for dia offices; ministry of social welfare and rehabilitation, ministry of women affairs as well as NGOs and security agencies like di NSCDC [Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps] and NAPTIP [National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons]. Dem go follow up and arrest di perpetrators. Di gender rights advocates emphasise say na di responsibility of evribodi wey dey wia such incident happen to make sure say dem report to relevant authorities to take di right action to protect di pikin and bring di perpetrators to justice, so oda children no go fall victim in future. But dem maintain say prevention beta pass cure, so make parents and guardians shine dia eyes during dis holiday period.
The National
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'While information on nationality and ethnicity may be provided on a voluntary basis, where this is the case, it is often only contained in observational notes and may not be provided at all,' admitted Glasgow City Council, one of the authorities which did not hold figures. Concerns about the disproportionate intervention of social work in Black families are long-running and widespread. In 2021, the BBC reported on the case of a Nigerian victim of trafficking, living in an Italian migrant shelter, who was threatened with having her son taken into care. Those running the shelter were apparently concerned by her so-called 'African' ways of bringing up her son, which included carrying him on her back and encouraging him to eat by putting food in his mouth. The 2023 Indian film Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway documented the real-life story of Anurup Bhattacharya and Sagarika Chakraborty, an Indian immigrant couple whose children were taken away by Norwegian authorities in 2011. Other cases have been documented in Germany and Sweden. Conversely, concerns have previously been raised that fears of being perceived as racist have stopped social workers stepping in to prevent abuse. The murder of eight-year-old Victoria Climbié (below) from the Ivory Coast 25 years ago, by her great aunt and her boyfriend, is said to be instrumental in current social work practice. But some claim that case has led to prejudice. Helene Rodger, project director and co-founder of Passion4Fusion, said: 'A lot of the families we support come to the attention of social services due to physical chastisement'. She doesn't excuse it, but said this needs to be seen in context especially for new Scots. 'In a lot of African countries, it is quite normal for it to be used as a form of discipline not harm,' Rodger added. 'We were parented like that. In Scotland, it's only been illegal since 2020. Often it's teachers or neighbours who contact social services.' She claimed migrants should be given clearer information so they know it is against the law to smack their children, with social workers trained to better understand the different cultural contexts. Black social workers and foster carers should be recruited, she claimed. As part of its report, They Took My Child Too – launched at the Scottish Parliament in May – Passion4Fusion surveyed more than 100 parents, community members and professionals with experience of the social work system. Almost three-quarters believed that there was a 'culture gap' for families and social work, while 93% 'agreed or strongly agreed' that more culturally sensitive child protection services would improve the welfare of Black and brown children. Esther Muchena, manager of Scottish Refugee Council's Family Rights Service, said involvement with child protection has sometimes been caused by different cultural norms where parents might leave a child at home alone, unaware of the laws. 'That is the type of behaviour that can be corrected,' Muchena said. 'In our experience working with women accessing our services, the issues are never about the woman not being capable enough. The root issue in our cases is usually because of the pressures of navigating a complex asylum process, which can cause poor parental mental health. Women in this position have to fight to survive while keeping their families together.' Victoria Nyanga-Ndiaye, founder of Project Esperanza, shares that view. The Edinburgh-based charity is currently working with over 40 migrant families with child protection involvement, though not all of them have children in care. The majority of the families she is supporting have come to the attention of social work as a result of perceptions of neglect, she said. She supports international students struggling to balance study with work and childcare, along with families with no recourse to public funds, due to their immigration status, who are struggling to cope. But the social workers, who should be there to help, often simply do not understand the cultural issues, are misinformed, under-trained and under-resourced to best help these families, Nyanga-Ndiaye said. 'I think the system is actually designed that way,' she added. 'It's designed for hardship.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said:'[[Scottish Government]] guidance on child protection in Scotland makes clear that cultural respect and understanding must be consistently applied in all child care and protection practices. 'The guidance sets out that professionals should learn about the culture or faith of the child and family and seek advice if necessary. They should also be culturally sensitive while keeping focus on the child's experience and potential harm.'
