Kenyan campaigners set for a walk to raise awareness on elephant poaching

NAIROBI, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A group of Kenyan wildlife campaigners on Wednesday announced they will embark on a lengthy walk in Britain to raise awareness on the plight of African elephants whose survival is at stake due to poaching and climatic stresses.

The campaigners told reporters in Nairobi that the Dec.3-13 walk from London to Bristol aims to rekindle a global conversation on the need to ban ivory trade in order to save the iconic land mammal from extinction.

"The historic walk from London to Bristol aims to encourage British authorities to support action on illegal trade in ivory that has decimated elephant population in Africa," said Jim Nyamu, the Executive Director of Elephants Neighbors Center.

He added the walk to raise awareness on elephants' protection in Britain was timely as the country set out to implement a total ban on trade in ivory products that was announced in early October.

"There has been ongoing discussion in Britain on how to hasten enactment of laws to ban trade in carvings made of ivory," said Nyamu, adding that the Mayor of London will flag off the upcoming walk for elephants.

The campaigner who has so far walked 10,500 km to lobby governments and corporations to support elephants' conservation said that even legal trade in ivory should not be condoned since it was fuelling slaughter of the giant mammals.

"Ivory markets anywhere in the world should be closed since they are motivating criminal elements to kill elephants and rhinos for their trophies," Nyamu said.

He revealed that Britain will next year hold an international meeting to revitalize global action on elephants poaching ahead of the 2019 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) summit in Sri Lanka.

Kenya's wildlife agency will dispatch officials to participate in the Great London walk for elephants in a bid to reaffirm the country's commitment to protect the iconic mammals.

Edin Kala, a senior assistant director in charge of parks and reserves at Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), said the government will partner with civil society to raise awareness on threats facing elephants at local and global arena. Enditem