Prince Philip’s Environmental Activism Saved a Whole Species from Extinction
The late Duke helped ensure that a rare Australian marsupial lives on today.
![prince philip environmental](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/smvbxD6ZP4TXmvZ5WrnxdF-415-80.jpg)
It’s been heartening to see the royal family use their vast resources to call attention to the fight against climate change. Between Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s net-zero carbon pledge, and Prince Charles’s long history of outspoken environmental activism, the use of their platforms for such an important cause is a hopeful sign. Really, though, they’re following in the well-trod footsteps of noted nature-lover Prince Philip.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away last April at the age of 99, was a long-time environmentalist, and was calling attention to conservation and biodiversity before it was a constant news item. Now, it seems that activism made him responsible for saving an entire species.
The story of the Australian rodent known as the Gilbert’s potoroo—considered the world’s rarest marsupial and kind of a mix of a rat and a kangaroo (but cute!)—is fascinating. It was once thought to have gone extinct, because it vanished in the 1870s and wasn’t seen for years. But according to the Telegraph, Prince Philip’s lobbying in the 1960s to save a bird species that lived in an area of remote Australian bushland called Two Peoples Bay, which had been flagged for destruction to make way for a new housing development, inadvertently saved the potoroo as well.
The surprisingly cute potoroo.
In 1994, nearly 30 years after the land received designated protection status, a scientist discovered that the disappearing potoroo actually had a surviving population in the area. Prince Philip’s successful fight to save the habitat allowed the potoroo’s population to grow to its current number of nearly 100 members, and researchers are expressing their gratitude for the Duke’s passionate conservation advocacy. “Prince Philip, in helping to save Two Peoples Bay, enabled Gilbert’s Potoroo to survive undetected — and thought extinct — until its rediscovery in 1994,” Dr. Jackie Courtenay, a conservation biologist in the Gilbert’s Potoroo Action Group, told the Telegraph.
This story is a great reminder that protecting the environment can have benefits far beyond just the obvious, and that advocacy can really make a difference.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Marie Claire is committed to celebrating the richness and scope of women's lives. We're known for our award-winning features, thoughtful essays and op-eds, deep commitment to sustainable fashion, and buzzy interviews and reviews. Reaching millions of women every month, MarieClaire.com is an internationally-recognized destination for celebrity news, fashion trends, beauty recommendations, and renowned investigative packages.
-
Our Complete Quiet Luxury Shopping Guide
30 quality closet classics that always have—and always will—endure.
By Emma Childs Published
-
Kaia Gerber and Cindy Crawford Medal in Mother-Daughter Olympic Matching
The pair touched down in Paris wearing coordinating navy looks.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Prince Harry Reveals Royal Family Rift Was Worsened by Tabloids
"Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince Harry Reveals Royal Family Rift Was Worsened by Tabloids
"Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle "Fears" Being "Heckled" If She Returns to U.K.
"The last thing she needs is the stress of going back."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince Harry on Why He Won't Bring Meghan Markle Back to the U.K.: "It's Still Dangerous"
He fears for his family's safety.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Critics Claim Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Tried to "Upstage" Prince George
"He wants to steal the thunder with his Invictus Games announcement."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle Put “Her Own Neck On the Line” to Support Embattled Prince Harry at the ESPYs Earlier This Month
“She chose to be there for her husband.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William and Princess Kate Apparently Made a Joint Decision Regarding Prince Harry As They Are “Very Consciously Focusing on Positivity and Recovery”
Though Kate’s health is improving, in her own words, she’s “not out of the woods.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Lady Diana Spencer Made This Telling Change to Her Wedding Vows to Prince Charles After Discovering He Was Still Carrying On an Emotional Affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles
Diana wanted to cancel the wedding entirely, but her sisters talked her out of it.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are “Drowning Out the Outside Noise” Surrounding Harry’s ESPY Award Backlash
The Sussexes are “very used to the criticism, given everything that’s gone on over the last few years.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published