Harry and Meghan share powerful photos of endangered animals for Earth Day
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released a series of pictures highlighting the precarious state of the world for Earth Day.
Harry and Meghan posted nine images on their Instagram account to their five million followers on Monday.
Calling the day a chance to “learn about, celebrate and continue to safeguard out planet”, the royal couple called on “everyone of us” to make a difference every day.
Each image is from a different part of the world and the significance of each one is explained in a detailed caption.
“We all now know the damage plastics are causing to our oceans,” the post states.
“Micro plastics are also ending up in our food source, creating not just environmental problems for our planet but medical problems for ourselves too.”
The post scrolls though pictures from countries such as New Zealand, Botswana and Guyana, and showcases wildlife such as a rhino, desert lions, Orca and Humpback whales, and elephants.
On the dangers faced by rhinos, the couple said: “These magnificent animals have survived ice ages and giant crocodiles, amongst other things!
“They have adapted to Earth’s changing climate continually for over 30 million years.
"Yet here we are in 2019 where their biggest threat is us.”
They go on to highlight the "critically endangered" status of desert lions, but also highlight some positives, such as how Humpback and Orca whale populations are recovering in Norway thanks to the protection of their fisheries.
The post has been liked more than 580,000 times, with nearly 4,000 comments.