From Friday 15th to Sunday 17th February, David Manoa – Head of Conversation Programmes for Born Free Kenya – will take a new approach to helping wildlife conversation by taking part in Kenya’s 10to4 cycling event.
The mountain bike challenge – which has grown in popularity since it was established in 2002, and now attracts over 300 cyclists from all over the world – helps raise vital funds for wildlife conservation and the protection of the Kenya water towers in Mount Kenya’s forest. It starts at 10,000 feet above sea level and sees the cyclists ride over 100kilometres off-road through alpine moorland, forests and savannah plains, finishing on the Savannahs of Borana Wildlife Conservancy.
Despite Born Free Kenya supporting the 10to4 event since 2005 through the provision of vehicles and logistical support, this is the first time in over a decade that one of the charity’s employees has tackled the challenge personally.
Mr Manoa wanted to secure his spot in the event to highlight the fact that more funds than ever before are required to tackle increasing wildlife conservation challenges such as poaching, climate change, human-wildlife conflict, and rapid growth of human population. He said:
“I believe one of the major ways to save the remaining wildlife in Kenya is to protect the environment in which they live. The 10to4 mountain bike challenge is not only a perfect opportunity for me to help protect Kenya’s iconic speciesthrough additional fundraising, but I also hope to inspire other Kenyans to be part of the solutions to the challenges facing wildlife conservation rather than fight against it.“
Tim Oloo, Country Manager for Born Free Kenya, added:
“Mt. Kenya is an important water tower that supports the lives of millions of people in Nairobi, around the Tana delta and as far as the Somalian border. The mountain, and the surrounding habitat, is a refuge for a large population of elephants, endangered wild dogs, near threatened mountain bongo, and the endemic Mt. Kenya viper. With the ongoing threats facing these incredible species it is more important than ever to raise funds for wildlife conservation.
“We are thrilled that David is quite literally going the extra mile to support Born Free’s work and we wish him all the best with the challenge.”
To support wildlife conservation in Kenya and David Manoa in his 10to4 mountain bike challenge visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/david-manoa. All proceeds will be split between Born Free and the MountKenya Trust.