Prince Harry ends a decade of army service as he prepares to target poachers in SA

London — Prince Harry has formally ended his full-time military service in Britain's army, wrapping up a career in which he qualified as an Apache helicopter pilot and completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan.

The announcement on Friday said Harry's final day was widely anticipated. The fifth in line to the throne had revealed in March that he intended to end his service to take a more vigorous role in his charitable endeavors.

After over 10 years of full-time service Prince Harry has today ended his @BritishArmy career http://t.co/QintpCril7 pic.twitter.com/LwIyzd87ZK

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) June 19, 2015

Kensington Palace says the prince will work with experts in wildlife protection in Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Botswana, sometimes helping rangers respond to reports of poaching attacks on elephants and rhinos.

Prince Harry will spend the next three months working on front-line conservation projects in southern Africa http://t.co/QintpCril7

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) June 19, 2015

The 30-year-old will work with the Zoological Society of London, which hopes Harry will become one of the "best-informed ambassadors for the conservation community".

Jonathan Baillie, Director of Conservation Programmes at the Zoological Society of London said: "After this period, Prince Harry will be one of the best-informed ambassadors for the conservation community on what is really happening on the ground in Africa."