By Godfrey Olukya 30-7-2013
Following the recent reports about rampart killing of elephants in Kenya and other African countries, Kenya’s first lady Margaret Kenyatta over the weekend launched a campaign to save elephants.
Her campaign, called “Hands off our Elephants”, which also included screening of a documentary on elephants, is reportedly targeting to educate Kenyans and the world at large on the need to conserve the elephant for posterity.
In her speech, she called upon Kenyans and friends of Kenya to play a role in stopping poaching of elephants saying that wildlife is the country’s future and therefore there is need to preserve it.
She noted that elephants are also a major tourist attraction for the country and the government earns revenue from it.
She said, ”Ivory trade threatens more than 300,000 jobs in the country, with millions of other direct and indirect beneficiaries from tourism being affected. The statistics are alarming Currently, our elephant population in Kenya has reduced to stand at approximately 30,000. Note that over 183 elephants have been slaughtered this year. And we are only in July!”
She raised fears that if poaching and killing of wildlife is not stopped now,in ten years there will be no wild elephants left in Kenya.
END
