| The Imenti Patrol Team has been awarded emergency relief funding by The Wildlife Ranger Challenge to combat the immediate threat to operations posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The continental-wide collapse of wildlife tourism caused by the pandemic has eliminated an essential funding stream for wildlife protection. This threatens to undo years of rangers’ conservation gains, compromising decades of development and conservation work across Africa.
The Wildlife Ranger Challenge, of which Mount Kenya Trust is a participant, is a pan-African virtual race uniting ranger teams across the continent to raise money to support the thousands of rangers affected by the pandemic and the iconic African wildlife they protect. Supporters around the world are encouraged to run in solidarity with them on October 3rd 2020.
See more at wildliferangerchallenge.org |
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| The Mount Kenya Trust team taking part in the challenge have been training hard at high altitude. On Monday they will take up in the press up challenge and several other challenges leading up to the 21km run in full ranger kit, including a 25kg back pack, on October the 3rd. For our team this means a run at around 3048 meters or 10,000ft! |
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| More than 50 ranger teams across Africa are launching The Wildlife Ranger Challenge, a multi-million-pound fundraising initiative to support the men and women across Africa’s protected areas who are enduring drastic cuts in salaries and resources due to the devastating economic impact of Covid-19, and yet are still working tirelessly to safeguard the continent’s iconic wildlife. |
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| The Wildlife Ranger Challenge administered by Tusk and Natural State has delivered a first phase total of $2M of emergency Covid-19 relief funding to many protected areas across the African continent through the Wildlife Ranger Challenge. Further funding will be released over the coming months as the Challenge progresses. |
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| The MKT Team taking part in the challenge. |
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Due to the devastating and ongoing economic impact of the pandemic, rangers across Africa have had their salaries significantly cut, and many have been furloughed – leaving families without income and wildlife vulnerable and unprotected. With many rangers stretched to capacity and international and national borders re-opening, it is feared that protected areas across Africa will experience a rapid increase in illegal poaching as well as a decline in wellbeing and economic security for the communities to whom this wildlife belongs.
The Wildlife Ranger Challenge has mobilised to tackle this crisis. Funds raised will cover salaries for at least 10,000 rangers, enabling them to provide for their families, protect communities and defend endangered wildlife in some of the continent’s most vulnerable areas, including Mt Kenya National Park and Reserve. |
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We know you have our backs!
Please contribute whatever you can manage, funding is matched, doubling your ability to help us and wildlife rangers across Africa. Thank you form all of us at Mount Kenya Trust. |
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