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Kenya on Monday launched a magical elephant naming festival in order to boost wildlife conservation.
Najib Balala, the cabinet secretary at the Ministry for Tourism and Wildlife, said the event, which will be held annually on August 12, the World Elephant Day, seeks to raise awareness on the plight of elephants and rally support toward their conservation.
“The initiative will also play a pivotal role in ensuring that the conservation of elephants is not affected by shocks and crises like the Covid-19 pandemic,” Balala said while at the Amboseli National Park, which is about 240km south of the capital city of Nairobi.
He said the launch of the festival would help raise funds for conservation of elephants and offer an opportunity for members of the public to learn more about the iconic species.
Balala noted that during the event, individuals would have a chance to adopt an elephant after contributing funds toward their conservation. According to the tourism ministry, Kenya has more than 34 000 elephants and the number has been gradually increasing at an annual rate of 2,8 percent over the last three decades. — IOL
Bongani Ndlovu