Film About Murdered Wildlife Ranger Whose Story Moved Prince William Released on Anniversary of Death (Exclusive)

A moving documentary that tells the story of a murdered wildlife ranger is set for release on July 26, the second anniversary of his death.

Rhino Man tells the life-and-death struggle of rangers as they face poachers and illegal traders in wildlife in Africa.

Central to the story was Anton Mzimba, a South African ranger who was murdered by wildlife traffickers in 2022 after dedicating his working life to protecting Africa's wild animals. Prince William, who connected with Mzimba months before his death, added his name to the tributes to the ranger a day later.

Prince William also attended a special screening of the film in 2023 and added his voice in a recorded message that was played for supporters before the movie's premieres in South Africa, New York City, Atlanta and Toronto.

Mzimba epitomized the battle that rangers undergo every day as they seek to protect rhinos hunted for their rhino horn. The Prince of Wales, who set up his United for Wildlife to build a consortium to tackle illegal wildlife trade, said in 2023 that Mzimba’s murder was "a stark reminder of the daily dangers that all rangers face around the world protecting the natural world from the international criminal organizations that seek to profit illegally from wildlife, and I’m proud to see his life and legacy recognized in Rhino Man."

On the eve of the film being available to stream on Apple, Google Play and Vimeo (soon to be followed on Amazon and Fandango), director John Jurko tells PEOPLE that Prince William's support has been crucial.

"We were a ragtag team putting this film together for seven years before William got involved," the director says. "It definitely gave us more credibility.”

Jurko praises the Prince of Wales' United for Wildlife organization — which brings together members of the global financial and transport networks and law enforcement to create an international response to the powerful serious and organized crime syndicates behind the poaching — for taking a lead in the fight.

"It’s pretty amazing to see how all of these groups really want to work together to make that difference," he says. "That’s due to Prince William’s leadership and how that’s trickled down. It is all about teamwork and coming together and not having ego about it and just trying to do as much good as they can through working together."

Jurko hopes the film, which is out in time for World Ranger Day on July 31, will raise even more awareness. It will also act as a tribute to his friend Mzimba, ranger colleagues and Ruben de Kock and his wife, Marianne, who worked at the Southern African Wildlife College to train a new generation of wildlife rangers.

Jurko says, "For me, it was the human side that stuck out. I met Anton for the first time in 2018 and Ruben and Marianne at the Wildlife College — they are some of the most dedicated and passionate people. Even if you’re not a conservationist, the work that these people are doing is so inspiring and really made me, and hopefully will make other people, want to follow that passion and drive to do something that is bigger than themselves.”

"For us, rangers are the unsung heroes in many ways," he continues. "People go out on game drives and don’t realize there is this other group out there protecting the reserves and wildlife."

Mzimba worked on the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, close to the well-known Kruger National Park in South Africa, where Jurko says local communities don’t always know the full extent of what is going on close by. His Global Conservation Corps shifted from not just supporting rangers but educating young people and inspiring locals.

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"Oftentimes, this is giving the kids the first chance to see wildlife for themselves," he says. "There are almost 4 million people living around Kruger National Park, and four out of five children there have not seen wildlife within these reserves.”

“How are you supposed to love and care about something if you’ve never seen it or experienced it?" he adds. "A big part of what we are trying to do is bridge that gap."