Southend burial site 'UK's answer to Tutankhamun' - BBC News

A royal burial site found between a pub and Aldi supermarket has been hailed as the UK's answer to Tutankhamun's tomb.

Workmen unearthed the grave, which contained dozens of rare artefacts, during roadworks in Prittlewell, near Southend, Essex, in 2003.

Tooth enamel fragments were the only human remains, but experts say their "best guess" is that they belonged to a 6th Century Anglo-Saxon prince.

It is said to be the oldest example of a Christian Anglo-Saxon royal burial.

When a team from the Museum of London Archaeology (Mola) excavated the site, they said they were "astounded" to find the burial chamber intact.

'Man of princely lineage'

The remains of the timber structure, which would have measured about 13ft (4m) square and 5ft (1.5m) deep, housed some 40 rare and precious artefacts.

Among them was a lyre - an ancient harp - and a 1,400-year-old box thought to be the only surviving example of painted Anglo-Saxon woodwork in Britain.

Gold coins, the gilded silver neck of a wooden drinking vessel, decorative glass beakers and a flagon believed to have come from Syria were also found.

Each had been placed within the tomb "as part of a carefully choreographed burial rite", indicating the resting place of a man of princely lineage, they said.

Locals nicknamed the grave's unknown occupant the Prince of Prittlewell and the King of Bling because of the riches buried alongside him.

It had been suggested the remains were those of Saebert, Saxon king of Essex from AD604 to AD616

But carbon dating and other tests have indicated the tomb was constructed between AD575 and AD605 - at least 11 years before his death.

After 15 years of research, archaeologists said their "best guess" was that the tomb belonged to Seaxa, Saebert's brother.

Fit for a prince

• Gold-foil crosses found at the head of the coffin are thought to have been placed over the eyes - making it certain he was a Christian
• However, other funeral customs, such as the burial mound, grave artefacts and wooden chamber, reflect pre-Christian beliefs and traditions
• A golden belt buckle, likely made especially for the burial, suggested a high-status individual
• An "exceptionally large" ash-wood coffin with an elaborate lid had space for a corpse and other worldly items. It alone would have weighed 160kg
• The size of the coffin, and placement of items within it, suggested he was about 5ft 6in (1.68m) tall
• A folding iron stool, thought to be a gifstol (gift seat) from which a lord dispensed rewards and judgement to his loyal followers and warriors, was found
• A "skilfully crafted sword" with collars of ribbed gold wire on the horn handle and a complex, pattern-welded blade was a clear signal of an aristocratic or royal-status burial.

Source: Mola

Sophie Jackson, Mola's director of research and engagement, said no-one had expected the "unpromising looking site" found in 2003 to contain "our equivalent of Tutankhamun's tomb".

"It's between a bit of railway and a bit of road, essentially a verge. It's not where you'd expect to find it," she said.

She said the grave provided a snapshot of a "really interesting time" when Christianity was "just creeping in" to the British Isles.

"They would have been just on the transition between having pagan burials with all your gear but also having these crosses," she said.

Ms Jackson said "the best guess" was that the tomb had housed Seaxa.

She said: "There's a lot of debate about whether he was a fully-fledged hairy beast Saxon warrior, or younger.

"Had he died before he could really prove himself?"

Who was Tutankhamun?

Tutankhamun was an Egyptian king who died about 3,000 years ago.

His tomb was discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 in an area now known as the Valley of the Kings.

It was one of the most well-preserved tombs that conservationists had ever seen, and close to 2,000 objects were found inside.

The chamber was filled with treasure and detailed wall paintings that showed the story of King Tutankhamun's life and death.

After the treasures had been catalogued and cleared, the tomb itself became a tourist destination when it was opened to the public in the 1930s.

Research was undertaken by more than 40 experts in various fields, who worked together to reconstruct the chamber.

In some cases, items had been so badly eroded that only soil impressions remained.

These artefacts were digitally recreated using techniques including CT scans and microscopic analysis of soil samples.

Some of the recovered artefacts will be displayed at Central Museum in Southend from Saturday.

The museum has also launched a website with information about its research, as well as an interactive diagram of the tomb.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-48203883

2019-05-09 04:44:10Z
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Southend burial site 'UK's answer to Tutankhamun' - BBC News

A royal burial site found between a pub and Aldi supermarket has been hailed as the UK's answer to Tutankhamun's tomb.

Workmen unearthed the grave, which contained dozens of rare artefacts, during roadworks in Prittlewell, near Southend, Essex, in 2003.

Tooth enamel fragments were the only human remains, but experts say their "best guess" is that they belonged to a 6th Century Anglo-Saxon prince.

It is said to be the oldest example of a Christian Anglo-Saxon royal burial.

When a team from the Museum of London Archaeology (Mola) excavated the site, they said they were "astounded" to find the burial chamber intact.

'Man of princely lineage'

The remains of the timber structure, which would have measured about 13ft (4m) square and 5ft (1.5m) deep, housed some 40 rare and precious artefacts.

Among them was a lyre - an ancient harp - and a 1,400-year-old box thought to be the only surviving example of painted Anglo-Saxon woodwork in Britain.

Gold coins, the gilded silver neck of a wooden drinking vessel, decorative glass beakers and a flagon believed to have come from Syria were also found.

Each had been placed within the tomb "as part of a carefully choreographed burial rite", indicating the resting place of a man of princely lineage, they said.

Locals nicknamed the grave's unknown occupant the Prince of Prittlewell and the King of Bling because of the riches buried alongside him.

It had been suggested the remains were those of Saebert, Saxon king of Essex from AD604 to AD616

But carbon dating and other tests have indicated the tomb was constructed between AD575 and AD605 - at least 11 years before his death.

After 15 years of research, archaeologists said their "best guess" was that the tomb belonged to Seaxa, Saebert's brother.

Fit for a prince

• Gold-foil crosses found at the head of the coffin are thought to have been placed over the eyes - making it certain he was a Christian
• However, other funeral customs, such as the burial mound, grave artefacts and wooden chamber, reflect pre-Christian beliefs and traditions
• A golden belt buckle, likely made especially for the burial, suggested a high-status individual
• An "exceptionally large" ash-wood coffin with an elaborate lid had space for a corpse and other worldly items. It alone would have weighed 160kg
• The size of the coffin, and placement of items within it, suggested he was about 5ft 6in (1.68m) tall
• A folding iron stool, thought to be a gifstol (gift seat) from which a lord dispensed rewards and judgement to his loyal followers and warriors, was found
• A "skilfully crafted sword" with collars of ribbed gold wire on the horn handle and a complex, pattern-welded blade was a clear signal of an aristocratic or royal-status burial.

Source: Mola

Sophie Jackson, Mola's director of research and engagement, said no-one had expected the "unpromising looking site" found in 2003 to contain "our equivalent of Tutankhamun's tomb".

"It's between a bit of railway and a bit of road, essentially a verge. It's not where you'd expect to find it," she said.

She said the grave provided a snapshot of a "really interesting time" when Christianity was "just creeping in" to the British Isles.

"They would have been just on the transition between having pagan burials with all your gear but also having these crosses," she said.

Ms Jackson said "the best guess" was that the tomb had housed Seaxa.

She said: "There's a lot of debate about whether he was a fully-fledged hairy beast Saxon warrior, or younger.

"Had he died before he could really prove himself?"

Who was Tutankhamun?

Tutankhamun was an Egyptian king who died about 3,000 years ago.

His tomb was discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 in an area now known as the Valley of the Kings.

It was one of the most well-preserved tombs that conservationists had ever seen, and close to 2,000 objects were found inside.

The chamber was filled with treasure and detailed wall paintings that showed the story of King Tutankhamun's life and death.

After the treasures had been catalogued and cleared, the tomb itself became a tourist destination when it was opened to the public in the 1930s.

Research was undertaken by more than 40 experts in various fields, who worked together to reconstruct the chamber.

In some cases, items had been so badly eroded that only soil impressions remained.

These artefacts were digitally recreated using techniques including CT scans and microscopic analysis of soil samples.

Some of the recovered artefacts will be displayed at Central Museum in Southend from Saturday.

The museum has also launched a website with information about its research, as well as an interactive diagram of the tomb.

You may also be interested in:

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-48203883

2019-05-09 04:19:19Z
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Southend burial site 'UK's answer to Tutankhamun' - BBC News

A royal burial site found between a pub and Aldi supermarket has been hailed as the UK's answer to Tutankhamun's tomb.

Workmen unearthed the grave, which contained dozens of rare artefacts, during roadworks in Prittlewell, near Southend, Essex, in 2003.

Tooth enamel fragments were the only human remains, but experts say their "best guess" is that they belonged to a 6th Century Anglo-Saxon prince.

It is said to be the oldest example of a Christian Anglo-Saxon royal burial.

When a team from the Museum of London Archaeology (Mola) excavated the site, they said they were "astounded" to find the burial chamber intact.

'Man of princely lineage'

The remains of the timber structure, which would have measured about 13ft (4m) square and 5ft (1.5m) deep, housed some 40 rare and precious artefacts.

Among them was a lyre - an ancient harp - and a 1,400-year-old box thought to be the only surviving example of painted Anglo-Saxon woodwork in Britain.

Gold coins, the gilded silver neck of a wooden drinking vessel, decorative glass beakers and a flagon believed to have come from Syria were also found.

Each had been placed within the tomb "as part of a carefully choreographed burial rite", indicating the resting place of a man of princely lineage, they said.

Locals nicknamed the grave's unknown occupant the Prince of Prittlewell and the King of Bling because of the riches buried alongside him.

It had been suggested the remains were those of Saebert, Saxon king of Essex from AD604 to AD616

But carbon dating and other tests have indicated the tomb was constructed between AD575 and AD605 - at least 11 years before his death.

After 15 years of research, archaeologists said their "best guess" was that the tomb belonged to Seaxa, Saebert's brother.

Fit for a prince

• Gold-foil crosses found at the head of the coffin are thought to have been placed over the eyes - making it certain he was a Christian
• However, other funeral customs, such as the burial mound, grave artefacts and wooden chamber, reflect pre-Christian beliefs and traditions
• A golden belt buckle, likely made especially for the burial, suggested a high-status individual
• An "exceptionally large" ash-wood coffin with an elaborate lid had space for a corpse and other worldly items. It alone would have weighed 160kg
• The size of the coffin, and placement of items within it, suggested he was about 5ft 6in (1.68m) tall
• A folding iron stool, thought to be a gifstol (gift seat) from which a lord dispensed rewards and judgement to his loyal followers and warriors, was found
• A "skilfully crafted sword" with collars of ribbed gold wire on the horn handle and a complex, pattern-welded blade was a clear signal of an aristocratic or royal-status burial.

Source: Mola

Sophie Jackson, Mola's director of research and engagement, said no-one had expected the "unpromising looking site" found in 2003 to contain "our equivalent of Tutankhamun's tomb".

"It's between a bit of railway and a bit of road, essentially a verge. It's not where you'd expect to find it," she said.

She said the grave provided a snapshot of a "really interesting time" when Christianity was "just creeping in" to the British Isles.

"They would have been just on the transition between having pagan burials with all your gear but also having these crosses," she said.

Ms Jackson said "the best guess" was that the tomb had housed Seaxa.

She said: "There's a lot of debate about whether he was a fully-fledged hairy beast Saxon warrior, or younger.

"Had he died before he could really prove himself?"

Who was Tutankhamun?

Tutankhamun was an Egyptian king who died about 3,000 years ago.

His tomb was discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 in an area now known as the Valley of the Kings.

It was one of the most well-preserved tombs that conservationists had ever seen, and close to 2,000 objects were found inside.

The chamber was filled with treasure and detailed wall paintings that showed the story of King Tutankhamun's life and death.

After the treasures had been catalogued and cleared, the tomb itself became a tourist destination when it was opened to the public in the 1930s.

Research was undertaken by more than 40 experts in various fields, who worked together to reconstruct the chamber.

In some cases, items had been so badly eroded that only soil impressions remained.

These artefacts were digitally recreated using techniques including CT scans and microscopic analysis of soil samples.

Some of the recovered artefacts will be displayed at Central Museum in Southend from Saturday.

The museum has also launched a website with information about its research, as well as an interactive diagram of the tomb.

You may also be interested in:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-48203883

2019-05-09 04:06:16Z
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UK drones map Chernobyl's 'Red Forest' - BBC News

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Chernobyl's "Red Forest" - one of the most radioactive locations on Earth - has just been surveyed by UK scientists using a suite of drones.

The robotic aircraft flew novel sensors that have given Ukrainian authorities more up-to-date information on the sites with the greatest contamination.

The Red Forest is just 500m from the Chernobyl nuclear complex.

It was hit by the immediate fallout from the 1986 explosion and fire in the plant's number-4 reactor.

Many of the forest's trees died and turned orange. Some areas are still strictly out of bounds to humans.

The UK's National Centre for Nuclear Robotics (NCNR) has developed a drone-mapping system that allows scientists to investigate hazardous places from a safe distance.

Fixed-wing craft are first used to make a general radiation map by flying at about 40mph (65km/h) just above the treetops, in a grid pattern.

Places of interest are then followed up with rotary-wing drones.

These can hover and use their sensors to acquire high-resolution, 3D information.

The survey conducted in April essentially confirmed the current understanding of the radiation distribution in the forest, but in far greater detail than has previously been available.

The drones also identified a few unexpected hotspots.

One of these, a few km to the south of the forest, turned out to be an old soil separation unit used during the original clean-up efforts.

"They were trying to separate out the contamination and thereby reduce the volume of the waste," Prof Tom Scott, from Bristol University and co-director of the NCNR, told BBC News.

"The legacy left at that facility is essentially spent nuclear fuel scattered on the floor, which was giving a very high radiation dose. About 1.2 millisieverts an hour. That would mean I'd be able to hit my yearly dose within just a few hours."

The NCNR team plans to go back to Ukraine in the coming months to survey additional areas in Chernobyl's 2,600km² Exclusion Zone, which is permitting more and more people to enter over time.

Some 70,000 tourists even visited the zone last year and there are plans to use large areas of land deemed now to be low risk for solar generation.

The British mapping exercise will help refine the protocols used to ensure the safety of all entrants to the exclusion zone.

The NCNR is a nationwide consortium of research experts tasked with developing the next generation of technologies that can be used to clean up Britain's 4.9-million tonnes of legacy nuclear waste.

Specialists in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning, sensors, electronics and materials are working across eight institutes, centred on a hub at the University of Birmingham.

One key goal is to come up with autonomous robots that can efficiently and safely curate the waste.

These tools are far more advanced than the systems people will know from car assembly lines, said Prof Rustam Stolkin from the University of Birmingham.

"These robots are completely autonomous; they're driven by a hundred thousand lines of AI code," he explained.

"They use robotic vision systems; they see objects and understand their position, their size and their shape; and plan where to put fingers to achieve a stable grasp.

"They can clear a random, cluttered heap of objects with no prior knowledge of those objects. This is the frontier of international robotics and AI research."

It's hoped many of the NCNR's technologies will have export and spin-out potential. The drone system is already being tested for mineral prospecting.

"The drones fly at a height which means they're much more sensitive than if you fly in a helicopter or an aeroplane," said Prof Scott.

"Some of the minerals we'd be interested in are gold and rare earth elements and cobalt. These are some of the most valuable materials we can think of and as minerals, they all have characteristic radioactive anomalies."

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

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https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48193866

2019-05-08 16:37:32Z
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British soldier dies in Malawi during anti-poaching operation - BBC News

A British soldier has been killed by an elephant during a counter-poaching operation in Malawi.

Mathew Talbot, 22, of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, was on patrol in Liwonde National Park on 5 May when he was charged by the animal.

His commanding officer, Lt Col Ed Launders, described Guardsman Talbot as "determined and big-hearted".

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said he served with "great courage and professionalism".

She added: "This tragic incident is a reminder of the danger our military faces as they protect some of the world's most endangered species from those who seek to profit from the criminal slaughter of wildlife."

Kensington Palace said the Duke of Cambridge was writing to Gdsm Talbot's family to offer his condolences.

Gdsm Talbot, who was from the West Midlands, was serving in his first operational deployment, the Ministry of Defence said.

The patrol of armed British army soldiers and African Park Rangers was walking through tall grass - up to 7ft (2.1m) high - when they disturbed an unseen herd of elephants.

One of them charged at Gdsm Talbot. He died soon after from his injuries. No-one else on the patrol was hurt.

He leaves behind his father Steven, his mother Michelle, his sisters Aimee and Isabel, and his girlfriend, Olivia.

In a statement, the MoD said Gdsm Talbot "was not unfamiliar" with Africa and had volunteered to support counter-poaching in Malawi.

"With his keen interest in military history he was proud to have joined a regiment with such a rich and long lineage," it added.

Operation Corded, the name given to the Army's counter-poaching deployment in Malawi, assists in the training of rangers in a bid to help them crack down on the illegal wildlife trade.

Park rangers are taught skills such as tracking, partnered patrolling, communications, surveillance, and intelligence-sharing - with the first deployment taking place in August 2017.

The former defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, announced the expansion of the UK's counter-poaching training at two parks in Malawi - doubling the number of rangers mentored by soldiers to 120 - in 2018.

Gdsm Talbot's company commander, Maj Richard Wright, said that while he had only known the soldier for a short time, "he never failed to make me smile".

Lt Col Launders added: "Mathew was loved by his brothers in arms in the Coldstream Guards. We will sorely miss his humour, selflessness and unbeatable spirit."

Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith described the death as "tragic news".

She added: "It underlines the dedication and selflessness of our armed forces personnel serving across the world.

"My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

Elephant poaching is a huge problem across Africa - some estimates say 30,000 are killed every year - and there are probably only around 450,000 left.

In many places it has become literally a war against poachers - that's why rangers are trained by British troops.

But there are different views over how to stop the illegal ivory trade.

International campaigns - backed by countries like Kenya - want a complete end to all ivory trade to prevent criminals exploiting permit loopholes.

But some southern African countries which account for the majority of Africa's elephants, believe limited and well-regulated trade in ivory can raise money to pay for conservation.

Botswana, which has been hosting an elephant summit over the past few days, has perhaps 130,000 of the animals - more than anywhere else - and has problems with human and elephant conflict.

The peculiar gift of elephant-foot stools to visiting leaders was a strong message in support of trade.

Under the management of a new president, it looks likely to re-introduce hunting -which is popular with rural voters - in an election year.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48190628

2019-05-08 09:13:21Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay00ODE5MDYyONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNDgxOTA2Mjg

British soldier dies in Malawi during anti-poaching operation - BBC News

A British soldier has been killed by an elephant during a counter-poaching operation in Malawi.

Mathew Talbot, 22, of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, was on patrol in Liwonde National Park on 5 May when he was charged by the animal.

His commanding officer, Lt Col Ed Launders, described Guardsman Talbot as "determined and big-hearted".

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said he served with "great courage and professionalism".

She added: "This tragic incident is a reminder of the danger our military faces as they protect some of the world's most endangered species from those who seek to profit from the criminal slaughter of wildlife."

Kensington Palace said the Duke of Cambridge was writing to Gdsm Talbot's family to offer his condolences.

Gdsm Talbot, who was from the West Midlands, was serving in his first operational deployment, the Ministry of Defence said.

The patrol of armed British army soldiers and African Park Rangers was walking through tall grass - up to 7ft (2.1m) high - when they disturbed an unseen herd of elephants.

One of them charged at Gdsm Talbot. He died soon after from his injuries. No-one else on the patrol was hurt.

He leaves behind his father Steven, his mother Michelle, his sisters Aimee and Isabel, and his girlfriend, Olivia.

In a statement, the MoD said Gdsm Talbot "was not unfamiliar" with Africa and had volunteered to support counter-poaching in Malawi.

"With his keen interest in military history he was proud to have joined a regiment with such a rich and long lineage," it added.

Operation Corded, the name given to the Army's counter-poaching deployment in Malawi, assists in the training of rangers in a bid to help them crack down on the illegal wildlife trade.

Park rangers are taught skills such as tracking, partnered patrolling, communications, surveillance, and intelligence-sharing - with the first deployment taking place in August 2017.

The former defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, announced the expansion of the UK's counter-poaching training at two parks in Malawi - doubling the number of rangers mentored by soldiers to 120 - in 2018.

Gdsm Talbot's company commander, Maj Richard Wright, said that while he had only known the soldier for a short time, "he never failed to make me smile".

Lt Col Launders added: "Mathew was loved by his brothers in arms in the Coldstream Guards. We will sorely miss his humour, selflessness and unbeatable spirit."

Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith described the death as "tragic news".

She added: "It underlines the dedication and selflessness of our armed forces personnel serving across the world.

"My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

Elephant poaching is a huge problem across Africa - some estimates say 30,000 are killed every year - and there are probably only around 450,000 left.

In many places it has become literally a war against poachers - that's why rangers are trained by British troops.

But there are different views over how to stop the illegal ivory trade.

International campaigns - backed by countries like Kenya - want a complete end to all ivory trade to prevent criminals exploiting permit loopholes.

But some southern African countries which account for the majority of Africa's elephants, believe limited and well-regulated trade in ivory can raise money to pay for conservation.

Botswana, which has been hosting an elephant summit over the past few days, has perhaps 130,000 of the animals - more than anywhere else - and has problems with human and elephant conflict.

The peculiar gift of elephant-foot stools to visiting leaders was a strong message in support of trade.

Under the management of a new president, it looks likely to re-introduce hunting -which is popular with rural voters - in an election year.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48190628

2019-05-08 08:34:12Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay00ODE5MDYyONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNDgxOTA2Mjg

British soldier dies in Malawi during anti-poaching operation - BBC News

A British soldier has been killed by an elephant during a counter-poaching operation in Malawi.

Mathew Talbot, 22, of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, was on patrol in Liwonde National Park on 5 May when he was charged by the animal.

His commanding officer, Lt Col Ed Launders, described Guardsman Talbot as "determined and big-hearted".

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said he served with "great courage and professionalism".

She added: "This tragic incident is a reminder of the danger our military faces as they protect some of the world's most endangered species from those who seek to profit from the criminal slaughter of wildlife."

Kensington Palace said the Duke of Cambridge was writing to Gdsm Talbot's family to offer his condolences.

Gdsm Talbot, who was from the West Midlands, was serving in his first operational deployment, the Ministry of Defence said.

The patrol of armed British army soldiers and African Park Rangers was walking through tall grass - up to 7ft (2.1m) high - when they disturbed an unseen herd of elephants.

One of them charged at Gdsm Talbot. He died soon after from his injuries. No-one else on the patrol was hurt.

He leaves behind his father Steven, his mother Michelle, his sisters Aimee and Isabel, and his girlfriend, Olivia.

In a statement, the MoD said Gdsm Talbot "was not unfamiliar" with Africa and had volunteered to support counter-poaching in Malawi.

"With his keen interest in military history he was proud to have joined a regiment with such a rich and long lineage," it added.

Operation Corded, the name given to the Army's counter-poaching deployment in Malawi, assists in the training of rangers in a bid to help them crack down on the illegal wildlife trade.

Park rangers are taught skills such as tracking, partnered patrolling, communications, surveillance, and intelligence-sharing - with the first deployment taking place in August 2017.

The former defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, announced the expansion of the UK's counter-poaching training at two parks in Malawi - doubling the number of rangers mentored by soldiers to 120 - in 2018.

Gdsm Talbot's company commander, Maj Richard Wright, said that while he had only known the soldier for a short time, "he never failed to make me smile".

Lt Col Launders added: "Mathew was loved by his brothers in arms in the Coldstream Guards. We will sorely miss his humour, selflessness and unbeatable spirit."

Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith described the death as "tragic news".

She added: "It underlines the dedication and selflessness of our armed forces personnel serving across the world.

"My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

Elephant poaching is a huge problem across Africa - some estimates say 30,000 are killed every year - and there are probably only around 450,000 left.

In many places it has become literally a war against poachers - that's why rangers are trained by British troops.

But there are different views over how to stop the illegal ivory trade.

International campaigns - backed by countries like Kenya - want a complete end to all ivory trade to prevent criminals exploiting permit loopholes.

But some southern African countries which account for the majority of Africa's elephants, believe limited and well-regulated trade in ivory can raise money to pay for conservation.

Botswana, which has been hosting an elephant summit over the past few days, has perhaps 130,000 of the animals - more than anywhere else - and has problems with human and elephant conflict.

The peculiar gift of elephant-foot stools to visiting leaders was a strong message in support of trade.

Under the management of a new president, it looks likely to re-introduce hunting -which is popular with rural voters - in an election year.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48190628

2019-05-08 04:13:37Z
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