SIX Million shillings will be used in the Lake Nakuru National Park's rehabilitation exercise. The funds were raised over the weekend during the cycle with rhino event which featured more than 190 participants. Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) corporate communications manager Paul Udoto said the money raised will be used to rehabilitate the park's 74-km baboon-proof electric fence around the park and support community projects in conservation.
He added that this year's event was held on the eve of the World Rhino Day to be celebrated globally on Thursday. "The day is marked globally to draw attention to the plight of the endangered rhino and highlight on efforts being made by KWS to boost anti-poaching strategies, give greater protection to the species," said Udoto. He added that the black rhino numbers in Kenya dropped from an estimated 20,000 in 1970 to under 400 by 1990. "This had since been addressed with numbers showing a recovery trend hence the increase to 597 in 2010. Illegal demand for rhino horns and the resulting poaching, declining habitats and climate change continue to be a major threat to the black rhino," he said.
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