Park rangers in walk to raise job awareness

Wildlife rangers have planned a journey between Arusha and Nairobi to raise awareness of the challenges faced by wildlife rangers in Tanzania and Kenya.

‘Our wildlife is officially on the edge of extinction. We can no longer afford to allow this scale of slaughter to continue as we go about our daily lives,’ Raabia Hawa, founder of the ‘Walk with Rangers’ initiative said in a statement.

They will work together to complete an arduous 350 kilometre walk from Tanzania to Kenya to raise awareness and funds for critical conservation projects in the two host countries.

This is support from the relevant governments and authorities.

The walk will be flagged off by Tanzanian officials and will be supported through its tenure by the Big Life Foundation, Honeyguide Foundation, Wildlife Works, Tanzania National Parks and the Kenya Wildlife Service.

‘Walk with Rangers’ will see local Tanzanians and Kenyans join hands with concerned citizens from around the world, including the United States, Britain, Italy, South Africa, Australia and Algeria engage in a unique experience on the ground.

The two-week trek, which is organized by Walk with Rangers and Big Life Foundation will begin on June 12 in Arusha and is set to finish with a symbolic walk in Nairobi, Kenya on June 28.

‘If we do, we will have failed to protect our natural inheritance for generations to come; robbed it of vital resources and left a blank future devoid of natural splendour,’ the statement reads.

Illegal trade in wildlife has increased exponentially over the past five to seven years and affects international security, stability, governance and biodiversity. Hawa, said the walk is aimed not only at raising awareness of the challenges faced by wildlife rangers, but also as a fundraising initiative to support these teams, by establishing a critical project in each one of the two countries.

By Elisha Mayallah, Monday, June 09th, 2014


SHARE: