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Prince William mourns death of friend and his son after 'tragic killing'

he Prince of Wales has been left heartbroken after the death of his close friend Mark Jenkins, and Mark's son, in Kenya, on 8 December.

Prince William took to Twitter to pay his condolences, writing: "Yesterday, I lost a friend, who dedicated his life to protecting wildlife in some of East Africa’s most renowned national parks. Mark Jenkins, and his son Peter, were tragically killed when flying over Tsavo National Park while conducting an aerial patrol." 

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"Tonight, I’m thinking about Mark’s wife, family and colleagues who’ve sadly lost a man we all loved and admired," he concluded signing off with the letter 'W'.

Mark was a ranger, conversationalist and experienced bush pilot. The plane was a Cessna 185 and belonged to David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT).

The two were trying to drive cattle that included cows, camels and goats out of the park when the incident happened, said officials.

Reports say it crashed at around 7.15am local time while on patrol in Huri – the north eastern boundary of the park. The park is almost 22,000 square kilometres and is the largest national park in Kenya – and one of the biggest in the world, according to the official website.

It is made up of two separate parks, Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park, in the Coast Province of Kenya between Nairobi City and Mombasa. The website states that the park is home to red elephants and large open spaces.

"Kenya Wildlife Service and David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) teams are at the scene to investigate the circumstances of the crash," KWS said in a statement.

"KWS wishes to express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the deceased."