British royal Prince William has been criticised by animal rights activists for taking part in a wild boar hunt in Spain after filming a video calling for the end of exotic animal poaching.

The Duke of Cambridge has recorded a short film with his father, Prince Charles, in which he rallies against the killing of elephants and rhinoceroses. The pair is also due to discuss the issue at a conference in the U.K. on Thursday (13Feb14).

However, the video has emerged while Prince William is enjoying a vacation in Spain, where he has been pictured with a gun in his hand on a wild boar shoot.

The news has enraged animal rights campaigners, who have branded the royal a hypocrite.

Joe Duckworth, of British organisation the League Against Cruel Sports, tells the U.K.'s Sunday People newspaper, "These actions show an absolute disregard for animals and wildlife. It makes no sense to be out shooting wild boar one week and hosting a ­conference on wildlife crime the next. We would question whether anyone can be expected to take him seriously when up on stage talking about how to protect animals."