Thanks for taking the time to visit our Running for Rangers JustGiving page.

"Our starter target was £50,000 but our true goal is to raise as much money as we possibly can.  Thanks to everyone who has donated (on this site as well as our other donation sites), we are so near to our initial target so we've decided to increase our aim to £100,000.  Please help us exceed this! "

Check out our website for the latest updates regarding our training progress and conservation-related news: www.runningforrangers.com 

In conjunction with Space for Giants and Save the Rhino, Pete, Hollie, Sam, Joss and Jacqs are running the Marathon des Sables in April 2015 to raise money for the welfare of the rangers who risk their lives daily to protect Rhino and Elephant in Kenya. 

Described by National Geographic as the 'toughest footrace on earth,' the Marathon des Sables is a gruelling six-day, 250km multi-stage adventure race through a formidable landscape in one of the world's most inhospitable climates - the Sahara desert. 

The recent demand for rhino horn and the resulting resurgence in poaching has reached catastrophic levels. In South Africa 650 rhinos have been slaughtered in 2014 alone. In proportion to its population, Kenya has lost even more.  The situation is even more dire for elephant, with some estimates suggesting that 100 elephant are being killed across Africa every day. 

As a result of inflated prices (rhino horn now rivals gold for value - approximated $65,000 per kilo), the poachers have become even more determined and motivated, using high caliber assault weapons and sophisticated night-vision gear to operate at night.   The poachers in Kenya come from an underworld of illegal gunrunners, involved in all facets of gun-crimes in the country, including human-trafficking and drugs.  It has even been suggest in the global media that there are links between revenue from poaching and terrorism organisations in Kenya, although there is, as yet, no firm evidence to collaborate this. 

Thus the pressure has mounted to extraordinary levels on both the national and private sectors involved with protecting rhino and elephant in Kenya.  As the threat of poaching increases and becomes ever more sophisticated, so too must the determination and resources needed to protect the rhino. 

The biological management and monitoring of rhino and elephant and anti-poaching both require large numbers of highly trained and above all, trustworthy personnel to perform these tasks.  The monitoring of rhino involves skilled tracking and perseverance through thick bush.  Long hours are spent amongst elephant, buffalo and other dangerous animals in the pursuit of identifying and establishing the daily whereabouts and health of each individual rhino.  The anti-poaching security team operates almost exclusively at night, in response to current trends of poachers.  These men are on the frontline and protecting these animals against heavily armed and ruthless gangs, as well as working in harsh, cold, and uncomfortable conditions. In order to do this, they need top-quality clothing and equipment which is not available in Kenya. 

By running for rangers we hope to raise funds to ensure that all rangers are adequately equipped with good-quality basic equipment.  These are the men that are risking their lives to save these two iconic species - we must do all we can to help them!

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