Thursday, October 01, 2009: Kenya Airways has joined the campaign to conserve and protect wildlife in the country. 

The airline is working jointly with the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Born Free Foundation in conserving wildlife especially the Big Five which are in danger of extinction but remain the main tourist attraction resource in the country.

“The wildlife is a huge source of revenue for the exchequer, a symbol for our heritage and a major attraction to the travelers we fly from various destinations around the world to visit our national parks and a significant contributor to our economy through business and employment,” Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Dr Titus Naikuni said.

As a result, the airline flew a lion sculpture for painting in London by a UK-based Arts and Events Company, Wild in Art. The painting was done by the famous artist David Shepherd.
 
The exercise dubbed “Pride of Kenya” is on-going with 50 life-size lion sculptures already placed in strategic locations in Nairobi.

The campaign is intended to encourage citizens and tourists to support the protection of the dwindling number of Kenya’s endangered lions. The population of Kenyan lions has fallen to 6,000 from 20,000 a few years ago.

As part of the initiative Kenya Airways has placed the painted sculpture at its ticketing office at the Village Market.  Under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, the airline works with various organizations throughout the world to raise funds for worthy causes.

The sculptures will be auctioned in November 2009 with the proceeds going to the Born Free Foundation for lion conservation projects, create awareness of the drastic decline in lion numbers and highlight what can be done about the situation. Lion population in Africa has dropped by 70 percent.

These initiatives target both corporate companies and individuals.

On April 17, last year, the founder of Born Free Foundation, Virginia McKeena and a life-size baby elephant sculpture were flown from Heathrow Airport to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by Kenya Airways.

Born Free Foundation works around the world to save lives, stop suffering and keep wild animals in their natural habitat. Ends