A British soldier has been killed while taking part in counter poaching operations in Malawi, Britain’s defence ministry said on Tuesday.
Guardsman Mathew Talbot, who served with The 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, was killed on May 5 while on his first operational deployment, the ministry said.
British media reported that the soldier was believed to have been trampled by an elephant.
“He was hugely proud of his work as a Counter-Poaching Operator, and tragically died doing great good,” his commanding officer, Lt Col Ed Launders, said in a statement.
Britain’s Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said Talbot had died carrying out vital work.
“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,” Mordaunt said.
REUTERS