2008 News Archive - Holidays - Kenya to spend to protect wildlife

03 05 2007

The wildlife authorities in Kenya are predicting that their annual revenues will triple in three years, enabling them to provide greater protection to the country's wild animals, reports Reuters.

Revenues could be over £50 million over the next three years, which will provide more resources for authorities to protect the wildlife that is the heart's blood of Kenya's tourism industry.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) currently operates over 60 parks which provide protection to animals threatened by poaching, war and global warming.

Julius Kipng'etich, a KWS boss, said: "Revenues are going to keep rising. By 2010, we expect to be a 7 billion shilling (£52 million) budget organisation."

Last year 1.8 million tourists flocked to Kenya, mainly to see its famed wildlife, which includes lions, rhinos, elephants and leopards.

The Masai Mara region of Kenya is especially renowned for its wildlife, including the blue wildebeest.

A huge selection of reptiles and birds can also be found in the various wildlife parks around the country.