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Prince William and Prince Harry visit a Tusk Trust project in Botswana

15th June 2010

Prince William and Prince Harry came face to face with a rock python and a cheetah today when they visited a Tusk Trust project in Botswana on the first day of their first joint overseas tour.

On the first day of their joint overseas tour to South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho, The Princes visited the  Mokolodi Wildlife Foundation and reserve which was formed with the aim of promoting a love of nature in Botswana’s youth through environmental education. 

Tusk Trust, of which Prince William is Patron has been a partner to Mokolodi for over 10 years.

The Mokolodi Nature Reserve was created on 4,500 hectares of donated land near Gaborone on the premise that tourism would subsidise environmental education for the country’s youth and provide a living example of how wild birds and animals could pay their way in modern Botswana.

It was not clear who was more afraid of whom when Prince William and Prince Harry were presented with a 2.4 metre-long African rock python during a visit to the reserve.

The brothers had joined a group of deaf students from a rural school being taught by the reserve's education centre how to avoid the dangers posed by snakes in the African bush.

As a keeper brought the 8ft (2.4m) snake up to Prince Harry, he said "Whoa, whoa, whoa", and backed away.

But, despite his protests, the snake was draped across his shoulders and the 25-year-old Prince was left pulling a face.

The python is capable of eating a small child and suffocates its prey with its powerful body but the creature would not be able to eat something as large as an adult, a member of staff said.

Prince Harry was given the head of the two-year-old snake to hold and lifted it towards his brother, who said "Don't put it in my face" and pulled away in mock horror.

The python is known as "royal game" in Botswana, meaning only members of the country's monarchy can handle or kill one so the species is effectively protected.

Senior staff from the reserve announced that two baby snakes would be named in honour of The Princes and asked them to choose between them.

There appeared to be a little disagreement between the brothers and finally Prince William said: "You can have the common brown snake - it's the same colour as your hair.

"Big brother chooses the python, little brother gets the common brown snake."

The Princes were later taken to see two cheetah brothers named Duma and Letlotse which were raised on the reserve after their mother was shot dead 14 years ago.

The timid animals initially hid from all the attention surrounding the visit but Prince William and Prince Harry soon found themselves stroking one of the big cats who had found a sunny spot to lie in.

The brothers seemed more relaxed with the cheetah than the snake and the animal soon began licking their hands.

While The Princes were in the cheetah enclosure, Prince Harry turned to the waiting media and said: "They want live meat, any volunteers?"

Talking about the cheetahs, Prince William said added: "They are very wiry, they're not soft at all - not fur-like."

He went on to say: "Yes, they lick the salt off your hands. I've seen them do that before."

Questioned about what he thought about being in Africa, the 27-year-old prince said: "It's great to be here."

And when questioned about working with his younger sibling, he joked:  "That's less so."

During their tour of the reserve's education centre, The Princes met more deaf students from the Ramotswa junior and secondary school who are taking part in a five-day residential course.

One student asked though a sign language interpreter: "Are you twins?"

Prince William replied: "We are wearing the same outfit."

Then, in a jibe at his brother's hair colour, he said: "He has ginger hair, we're not twins."

Prince Harry came back with his own retort, saying: "He always wants to dress like me."

Earlier in the day Prince Harry launched the British Council’s 2010 Reading Challenge at Mophane Primary School in Gaborone West.

The reading challenge started out in the UK as a way of getting primary school children to read simple books for pleasure in their long summer holiday.

The British Council has extended the programme to 23 different countries including Botswana, where last year’s Reading Challenge took place in Mophane, Bophirima, and Boswa Primary Schools.

Prince William and Prince Harry are on their first joint overseas tour and will be visiting their charitable projects in the countries of South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho.

Visit the Tusk Trust website