Andy Murray to fight poaching as WWF ambassador

Murray, well known for his love of dogs, said this was the "perfect venture" for him to support

Tennis star Andy Murray has become a global ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund.

The British number one, well known for his love of dogs, has signed up to support the fight against poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

Murray is to help support an initiative in Nepal that trains dogs to track down poachers in Chitwan National Park.

Tigers, rhino and elephants are all under threat in the country due to poaching for animal parts.

In honour of Murray's support, a puppy which is part of the sniffer dog training programme, has been named after him.

'Incredibly important'

The former Wimbledon champion said: "Anything we can do to deter poachers is a positive step in the right direction.

"I've followed WWF's work on the illegal wildlife trade for a while now and have been looking for a way to support the campaign.

"I think it's incredibly important that this trade is prevented and the sniffer dog programme seemed like the perfect venture for me to get behind.

"I know from my own dogs how clever they can be and it's fascinating how these sniffer dogs communicate with their handlers. I'm also really looking forward to going to see Murray in action at some point in the near future."

Heather Sohl, chief species advisor at WWF UK, said she was "delighted" Murray had joined the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.

Murray is supporting a new programme tackling the illegal wildlife trade in Nepal