When David Beckham and the Duke of Cambridge ask you, “whose side are you on?” – once you regain your balance from swooning – you’re going to say, “yours!”  Putting soccer (sorry *football*) preferences aside, you’ll want to make this allegiance to William and Beckham because, according to WWF, the duo just teamed up to “harness the power of sport and social media to raise awareness of wildlife crime.”

Now, that’s a team I’m sure all you Green Monsters are more than happy to join! The campaign #WhoseSideAreYouOn is a new initiative from United for Wildlife. Using this hashtag, the campaign is aimed at the younger generation and begs the question: are you on the side of wildlife, or the side of the criminals responsible for their imminent extinction?

Illegal wildlife trafficking is an incredibly lucrative business and it is a major driver in the looming extinction of species such as the African elephant, the Black rhino, and the Asian tiger. Calling on the younger generation to step up for these species is a critical move because, if they don’t, we are poised to see many of them disappear within their lifetimes.

United for Wildlife was launched by Prince William this past February to bring awareness to this very important issue. David Beckham has come on as the “coach” of a team of global ambassadors, including Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton, Rahul Dravid, Francois Pienaar, and Yao Ming, to help raise awareness for our quickly disappearing species.

To participate, check out the campaign’s website and spread #WhoseSideAreYouOn via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and any other social network of your liking. It is time to show the world we are a united front for wildlife!

Image source: Chris Jackson/Getty Images