The Rhino Charge is a unique and exciting competition pitting man and machine against some of Kenya’s harshest terrain. The Rhino Charge is a fund raising event organized by Rhino Ark to raise funds for its conservation projects, including the world renowned Aberdare Electric Fence Project, Eburu forest and the Mt Kenya Forrest Fence.

Team 42 is once again ready to take on the challenge of the Rhino Charge with renewed enthusiasm and a new highly modified car for this year’s event. Rhino Charge is a sporting event like no other that takes place in the wilds of Kenya each year in June, with the purpose of raising money for the registered charity Rhino Ark (No.1047083).

Rhino Ark seeks to preserve the mountain range ecosystems of Kenya protecting precious indigenous forests and to create a sustainable and harmonious environment that enables people and wildlife, including all flora and fauna, to coexist. These mountain forests are called “water towers”, which provide a yield of more than 15,800 million cubic meters per year, which is more than 75% of the renewable surface water resources of Kenya. Thus benefits a large range of other economic sectors that include the agriculture, forestry, fishing, electricity, water, hotels and accommodation, public administration and defence.

Well-managed montane forest cover reduces malarial disease prevalence.

Some of the key goals of the Rhino Ark are;

•  The Protection of Endangered Species – The area is one of the last surviving enclaves of the Black Rhino and home to the rare Eastern Bongo antelope.

 

•  Water Protection – These mountain forests or “water Towers” are responsible for the essential rainfall that feed all the seven largest rivers in Kenya, and is crucial for at least 70% of Kenya’s population. These water towers also provide all the water for Nairobi and its surrounding area (with a population of over 5 million people).

 

•  Communities and Wildlife - Provide the water that feeds the wildlife in the Mara – Serengeti ecosystem. Provide water to the Samburu and nomadic pastoralists of Northern Kenya. 

 

•  Community training and education programmes - to help and support the 3,000,000 local farmers whose lands are adjacent to the Fence, both with community irrigation schemes and agro-forestry projects.

 

•  Supply of Electricity – The Rivers of the Aberdares flow North, South, East and West providing hydro-electric power to millions of Kenyans and most of Kenya’s industrial towns and cities.