PIC: Prince William Feeds a Black Rhino

USMagazine, Tuesday, June 19, 2012, 4:40pm (PDT)

Mealtime with Prince William!

During a visit to England's Port Lympne Wild Animal Park earlier this month, Prince William, 29, had the chance to get up close and personal with one of his most loyal subjects -- a five-year-old female black rhino named Zawadi.

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A patron of wildlife conservation group Tusk Trust, the Duke of Cambridge bonded with the animal and two of her pals, Grumeti and Monduli, and even had the chance to feed one rhino by hand.

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William appeared at the zoo in an effort to raise awareness about the endangered animals. In a Monday interview with the BBC, the royal explained that the rhino is one of "the most heavily poached animals in the world and if we don't do something about them it will be a tragic loss for everyone."

A longtime friend to animals -- he adopted an adorable cocker spaniel puppy, Lupo, with wife Kate Middleton this year -- William has provided the Tusk Trust with invaluable publicity.

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"The Duke of Cambridge has managed to raise the profile of the poaching crisis in a way that no other person can," Tusk's CEO Charlie Mayhew told TODAY.com.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: PIC: Prince William Feeds a Black Rhino