NAMES IN THE NEWS : Prince Charles Favors Wildlife

Britain’s Prince Charles put down his polo mallet for a film role as he continued his efforts for wildlife conservation during a visit to Florida.

Charles made an animal conservation film for the British Broadcasting Corp. during a three-hour visit Monday to the Kennedy Space Center.

Filming took place at a national wildlife refuge, part of the 88,000-acre space center and home to eagles and hundreds of other bird species, alligators, wild pigs, deer and other wildlife.

Forrest McCartney, space center director, also escorted Charles on a tour of the shuttle launch control center and an assembly building. The group saw from a distance the launch pad where the shuttle Atlantis is being readied for liftoff Thursday.

During the three days preceding his visit to the cape, the heir to the British throne was in Vero Beach, where he participated in two polo matches to benefit a wildlife protection organization.

Charles is scheduled to attend a conference on international business beginning today in Charleston, S.C., and to travel to Washington later this week to meet with President Bush and British Embassy officials.