#EnvironmentChamps: Kenyan conservationists trek 617 kilometers to save elephants
A Kenyan wildlife conservation group on Saturday kicked off a 617 kilometers walk to raise awareness towards the importance of saving elephants and rhinoceros from the poaching vice.
The walk dubbed Ivory Belongs to Elephants will see the conservationists trek all the way from the capital Nairobi to the northern town of Marsabit.
The walk is expected to last 32 days, and will transverse through nine counties.
Jim Justus Nyamu, director and founder of Elephant Neighbors Center, who will lead the walk, has been involved in many other walks not just in Kenya, but internationally as well.
Nyamu has walked in other countries like Uganda, Tanzania and the U.S., all with the aim of raising awareness towards the conservation of elephants and rhinos.
During the Marsabit walk, the conservationists will also convene interactive sessions with locals from various communities to deliver their conservation message.
Kenya has been conducting a strong anti-poaching campaign, a feat that has over the years received support from various governments.
In April last year, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta burnt over $100 million worth of ivory, a move that analysts praised as a big blow to poachers.
As ivory markets continue to close all around the world, conservationists such as Jim Nyamu can take pride in being part of the spirited fight to ensure future generations get to see elephants and not just read them in books.
Even with these efforts however, specialists say that a lot more has to be done to protect elephants and Kenya’s wildlife at large.
According to the Economic Survey 2016, there were 15,800 elephants in Kenya in 2015, which is 5,000 less than the population four years ago.
International wildlife conservationists have called for a total ban on ivory trade worldwide, to kill off the markets where the ivory is sold. This way, poachers would have no market to sell their steal thus making the poaching industry worthless to them.
With concerted efforts like those of Jim Nyamu and his team, there is hope that elephants in Kenya and beyond will be able to live longer in safety, ultimately enabling an increase in their numbers.
