Kenya Wildlife Service hosts "To Hell's Gate on a Wheelbarrow" race

Snr Game Warden Nelly Palmeris and teammate KWS

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has a knack for putting together innovative events to aid conservation. The latest is a wheelbarrow race aptly named “To Hell’s Gate on a Wheelbarrow” planned for Saturday, June 6th at Hell’s Gate National Park.

Hell’s Gate, one of the country’s unique treasures, is located 100 km (62 miles) northwest of Nairobi, near Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley.

Besides a wide variety of wildlife, spectacular scenery with volcanic towers, gorges and colorful sandstone cliffs, which almost mimic the Grand Canyon, greet the visitor. The park is only one of two in the country that allows hikers, mountain bikers and rock climbers to explore without an escort.

An added attraction to Hell’s Gate is Kenya’s first albino buffalo born about four months ago. The baby is under the watchful eye of the KWS since the Maasai consider albinism a bad omen, and they may try to kill the baby thinking it may have had something to do with the continued drought.

Besides protecting the albino, the KWS already has their hands full. Nelly Palmeris, Senior Warden of the park said, “The 68 square km (26 square miles) park faces a number of challenges, key among them the hosting over 67,000 wild animals, of which 90 percent live on private land outside the park. With less than 10 percent of these animals permanently based in the protected area, there is increased illegal game meat trade, human encroachment and loss of habitat, conflict in land use, land subdivision and fencing and human-wildlife conflict.”

Because most of the wildlife live outside Hell’s Gate Palmeris says, “It is vital that the KWS work with the surrounding communities whose land is critical to the survival of wildlife.”

Thus, the KWS hopes to raise Kshs 5 million ($64,000 USD) to equip a conservation centre that will aid in community outreach programs ultimately reducing human-wildlife conflict.

The entry fee is Kshs 5,000 (64.00 USD) per team, and teams are comprised of two people – one pushing the other in a decorated wheelbarrow over a 5 km (3 miles) course. Besides pushing a wheelbarrow, there are fun activities planned for the entire family with festivities beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Just like the “Cycle with the Rhinos” race, this event sounds like so much fun and for a crucial cause that if I were in Nairobi I would find a teammate and race. So to all those in Nairobi, I hope you get out and ride a wheelbarrow this coming Saturday. And if not this year, there is always next year.

Information regarding the race, including the registration form, is on the Kenya Wildlife Service’s web site: www.kws.go.ke

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