KENYA: Cycling challenge in wildlife park raises 1 million U.S. dollars for conservation

Record ID: 361383

  • Title: KENYA: Cycling challenge in wildlife park raises 1 million U.S. dollars for conservation
  • Date: 22nd September 2010
  • Summary: NAKURU, KENYA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RHINOS AT THE PARK
  • Embargoed: 7th October 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA4WXW2K9TC4IJ377VGHV9KT026
  • Story Text: An annual cycling challenge dubbed 'Cycle with the Rhinos' recently raised one million U.S. dollars to go towards the rehabilitation of a fence around one of Kenya's best-known wildlife parks - Lake Nakuru National Park.
    The event -- organised by the Kenya Wildlife Service's (KWS), was held inside the park. It is aimed at rehabilitating the the 180 square kilometer electric fence around the park and undertaking community education and conservation of the fragile ecosystem.
    Most famous for the hordes of flamingos that gather on its lake shore, the park in central Kenya is home to 450 species including white rhinos, giraffes and lions.
    Several communities also live around the park and human-wildlife conflict has often been a problem. The fence is crucial in keeping the animals inside and away from the homes of those living near the park.
    The sixty-four-kilometre race attracted professional cyclists as well as a number of cyclists from neighboring communities.
    "I think this is my fourth time participating in this race and all this is to help stop the wild animals in this park from coming to our villages. When we heard about this we rounded up some youths and decided to come down here and take part in raising funds to fence these animals away so that our crops could be safe," said George Mwangi, a cyclist living in one of the villages.
    "Lake Nakuru National Park is under incredible human pressure. It is surrounded by people and the baboons and other animals get out of the park and destroy people's crops and other property. This fence is meant to help address the problem of human-animal conflict around the park," said Paul Udoto, Communication Officer for KWS.
    The interest in conserving the park's ecosystem is shared by its human neighbours, who also benefit from the park's tourist's needs. In 2008, a fire that accidentally started in a nearby village spread into the park, destroying large patches of grassland and killing a few small animals. It took days to put out the fire, with the help of residents of the villages who jumped through the fence to help.
    The park also faces threats from increasing urbanization, poaching, land de-gradation, decrease in quality and quantity of water in the lake and loss of biodiversity, as a result of deforestation in water towers upstream.
    "We have close to 800 Rhinos both black and white and this are highly endangered species, this are among the species taking a lot of resources in terms of protection however we are happy with the success we have made in terms of reviving the populations, which were almost being wiped out in the late 70s and early 80s," Udoto said.
    Research predicts possible danger in loss of the park's unique ecosystem within the next 8 years, if conservation efforts are not heightened.
    The park was designated as a bird sanctuary in 1961 and extended up to 6000 hectares in 1964. Later in 2005 it was branded as a 'Birdwatcher's paradise' famous for its display of over 1.5 million flamingoes.
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