Covid 19 has effected each country in a different way. Kenya faces a serious longer term reality that could take decades to recover from - the loss of wildlife en masse. Without tourist dollars, Kenya's game reserves such as the Maasai Mara, Amboseli and other national parks are empty with no tourists. As a result, the parks cannot pay Rangers and staff members to keep the wildlife in the parks safe. Poachers of ivory, rhino horn and bush meat are now free to enter the parks since the camps/lodges are closed and there are no safari vehicles present.

Covid-19 starved communities and villages surrounding the parks, reserves and conservancies lack the income they normally receive from tourism which supports their livelihood. Therefore, they have no option but to kill wild animals for food (e.g. plains game). They are now able to enter the parks undetected in order to hunt for bush meat since there are too few Rangers to monitor these vast areas. Wildlife poachers have freedom in all the parks to kill elephants and rhino for profit.

The safari industry faces grave challenges throughout Africa. In Nairobi alone, hundreds of safari vehicles are sitting unused in car yards. Camps and lodges are closed. Safari guides, drivers and camp staff are without jobs. Local communities, who used to work in the camps and lodges are sitting idle in their villages.

We propose a solution. This project will allow for re-hiring guides, using their vehicles to enter the parks as "anti-poaching surveillance units" in order to reinforce the efforts of too few rangers. The hundreds of guides in hundreds of vehicles will be paid to drive around day and night. With the presence of vehicles all over the parks, the safari guides will work with the Rangers by radio in order to deter poachers from killing elephants, rhino, giraffe, eland, Thompson gazelle and many more animals for food or profit.

Empty camps and lodges will provide accommodation and food for the guides at low net cost - just the cost for food, generators for electricity and a place to sleep. Use of these empty camps and lodges will also employ local communities again, which will also deter them from killing animals for bush meat.

In short, this project will help protect vulnerable wildlife from being wiped out during the threat of Covid-19 in Kenya. Wildlife is the gem of Kenya and Kenyans depend on these national parks and tourism for their livelihood. This project will not only save the lives of thousands of animals, but of many people in Kenya.

In addition to monitoring the parks, the guides will deliver the most important food items to the villages (maize meal, lentils, rice, sugar, tea leaves, milk and soaps/ sanitizers) which will also prevent them from hunting bushmeat. Most Kenyan communities eat little meat. These food packages cost around $30 USD and can last a family of five for two weeks.

Time is of the essence. We need to get the guides out in the field as soon as possible. We are reaching out to Safari Companies throughout Kenya to join us because we need to move as quickly as possible in order to save as many lives as possible.

By giving as little as $60, you can feed two families for two weeks. But we need money to pay the guides, for fuel for the vehicles, food for the guides, for staff at lodges, electricity / generators, and so on. We will be sharing videos on social media to keep you updated on exactly what we are doing and what is happening out there in the bush.

Your donations are vital to us....and to the beautiful wild animals that make Kenya a paradise. You have no idea how appreciated you are. Thank you in advance for your loving generosity during this time of crisis.

We sincerely thank you.

Jami, Gaby and your Team at Community Wildlife Fund
Animal Poaching Protection