The Duke of Sussex has paid tribute to a British soldier killed during a counter-poaching operation in Malawi.

Prince Harry laid a wreath for Mathew Talbot, 22, who was killed by an elephant in May.

The duke was “honoured” to pay respects to Guardsman Talbot, who played a “huge part” in conservation efforts, a post on his Instagram account reads.

It comes after he claimed that protecting nature should not be dismissed as “hippy”.

Prince Harry visited Liwonde National Park, in the south-east of the country, where Guardsman Talbot worked on a joint mission with the British Army, the Malawian government and African Parks.

“Often away from the public eye, many people are prepared to put themselves in harm’s way, in a bid to protect wildlife from poachers,” the post on the Sussex Royal Instagram account says.

It adds that the duke has worked closely with park rangers to tackle poaching and “celebrates each and every one of them as heroes”.

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