The 2010 Rhino Charge Raffle results are out.

Rhino Charge 2010 held yesterday (Monday 31st May) in the Londuroj Hills, Magadi, Kajiado District, raised a record Kshs72,540,232. This beats 2007 record of Kshs 68 million by over Kshs 4 million and by far the highest for any Rhino Charge event.

The communities that gave no cost labour time to build sections of the fence near their farms on Mt Kipipiri - Kipkiama Cecaffe and Gita- won the East African Wildlife Society’s Michael Werikhe aware for services for conservation in the Aberdares.

They cut across all sections of Kenyan society and with a lively following of overseas participants – some as entrants and others filling the runner/navigator ranks for veteran Kenyan teams.

The friendly but firm faces of the guards wearing the KK uniform will be on patrol and manning key access points at the 2010 Rhino Charge.

This year, continuous monitoring of cars is again provided this year by Satellite GPS transceivers from Rivercross Tracking Ltd in co-operation with Skywave Mobile Communications.

Our National Airline - Kenya Airways are supporting the Rhino Charge 2010 Raffle with a very exciting prize ...

Chargers, Sponsors & Friends of Rhino Ark,

The date set for this year’s UK Rhino Charge is Sunday 3rd October. The event will be held in East Sussex, Pippingford Park. Kindly see the attached flier for more details.

Please pass this on to your UK friends and encourage them to enter.

to download flier

Rhino Charge Team 27 presents their annual golf tournament at the Limuru Golf Club on 9th May 2010.

Rhino Charge Car 21 is organizing a fundraising event at the Junction on 19th April 2010.

The Rhino Ark Aberdare fence is a significant “investment which should be secured and maintained” for the future management of the Aberdares declared Kenya’s President, Mwai Kibaki at the Commissioning ceremony on March 12 at Bondeni, Mweiga.

The Aberdares came to London recently when an audience of over 500 Fellows and members of the historic Royal Geographical Society heard details of the completion of a major project which now rings the entire Aberdare mountain range in Kenya.

Kenya – Conserving the Aberdares

This year’s Quattro Charge held at a spectacular new venue- Lukenya, saw John Kanyali beat 43 other competitors, bagging a total of Kshs 130,000 that will go into his kitty for the 2010 Rhino Charge.

“Thrills and Spills of Rhino Charge”

Re-Live the wild bush of Mogoswok, Baringo in “Spirit of the Charge 2009” Premiere at Carnivore, Simba Saloon December 3rd, 6.30pm for 7 pm.

Chargers, Donors, Sponsors and Friends you are all warmly invited!

Full Buffet & BBQ, a copy of Rhino Charge 2009 DVD, a give-away for you, live entertainment, disco, Rhino Charge website photo competition awards, & other excitements

... All for Kshs 2,700 per person!

R.S.V.P

Management Committee
Rhino Ark Charitable Trust

Rhino Charger’s have responded with great enthusiasm with 23 entries.

Rob Collinge, organizer says Charge cars will be sharing the prize money to go to their pledges for the 2010 Charge.

Mr. Mohan Chondra, Commercial Director, Kenya Airways (right) presents a passenger ticket to Gai Cullen, driver of Car 58

The 2009 UK Rhino Charge raises £9,035.755. Team Dirty Berty emerges overall winner.

Rhino Ark Trustee and pioneer Rhino Charger Mike Higgins, dedicated conservationist and the person who developed and produced the plastic posts for the Rhino Ark Aberdare fence, passed away yesterday evening.

Final Post of Rhino Ark Aberdare Fence placed at Geta, Kipipiri by Minister for Forestry and Wildlife.

Almost 400 kms in length, the Rhino Ark Aberdare Fence - one of Kenya’s most ambitious, entirely home grown, conservation initiatives was formally completed today.

Hon Noah Wekesa, Minister of Forestry and Wildlife placed the final post into the ground at a ceremony attended by hundreds of forest edge farmers and well attended by Government officials and Rhino Ark donors. His act completed the construction of the Rhino Ark Aberdare Fence started 21 years ago.

Rhino Ark recently received a £3,500 donation thanks to safe working practices demonstrated by staff at High Speed 1 Ltd in London. Construction and maintenance workers on the Brill Place site near St Pancras International - formerly the site of the High Speed 1 project offices - recently achieved the milestone of 400,000 hours worked without a serious accident.

From madness to gladness… Impossible project benefits millions of Kenyans…

In today’s Daily Nation – Horizon Section

(Thursday July 16, 2009)

Rhino Ark can now confirm that following protracted discussions between Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service and Rhino Ark, the alignment for the wildlife corridor within the gazetted forest area linking the main Aberdare range with Mount Kipipiri has now been agreed.

The date for this year's UK Rhino Charge is Sunday September 20th.

John Bowden the event's organiser and a UK trustee of Rhino Ark UK said: '’Once again it is to be in the beautiful 1500 acre Pippingford Park , East Sussex, near Wych Cross.

Colin Church (right), Chairman, Rhino Ark Management Committee and Unga Group’s Director and Rhino Charge Driver, Alan McKittrick (2nd Right) donate Jogoo Unga maize meal and Famila baby weaning porridge flour worth Kshs 216,000/- to residents of Kibingor/Mogoswok. This donation comes in after the area residents were badly affected by drought which has engulfed the region. On hand to receive the donation from left to right are Samuel Chebon, Councilor Kimondis, Phillip Chebii, former Councillor Kimondis, John Endao, Area Teacher, Amos Odera, Member, Youth Forum, Elijah Letangule, Forum Manager and Juma Chesaro, Area Chief.

Unga Group provided transportation of the maize meal.

The 2009 Rhino Charge arrangements in Mogoswok area was co-ordinated by the North Rift Inter Council Forum under the Forum's Mr William Kimosop. This year’s world unique world renowned Rhino Charge event was held in Mogoswok, Baringo District.

For further information please contact: -

Beryl Okundi,
Rhino Ark,
Tel: 2306010/11/ beryl@rhinoark.co.ke

Or

John Thuo,
Church Orr & Associates,
Tel: - 891133 Fax: - 891144 and e-mail: coa@churchorr.org

The Rhino Charge 4X4 off road event which was held on Sunday May 31st in Mogoswok, Baringo District and attended by thousands of fans and well wishers has raised a total of KShs 65,119,705.53.

The event was won by Mark Glen in Car no. 48 scoring a distance of 39.45Kilometeres and covering 12 Guard Posts. Second overall was Alan McKittrick in Car No.5 scoring 40.35 Kilometres over 12 Guard Posts.Third position was taken by Ian Duncan in Car No 2 who covered a distance of 12 Guard posts with a long distance of 42.21kms.

The Spectator Camp will be managed by Tarpo again this year.

The same practice of two distinct areas for camping:
Competitor Camp and Spectator Camp will be in force.

The world famous and unique Rhino Charge Kenya 4X4 off road event for 2009 is fully subscribed.

Rhino Ark are delighted to have been donated a stand at the British Indoor 4x4 Show on which to showcase the 2010 UK and Kenyan Rhino Charges, as well as demonstrate the work of the charity in Kenya. We would ask all existing Rhino Ark supporters and friends to pass this news on to their UK contacts and encourage them to network the information to all who might want to visit the show at the Donington Exhibition Centre, Castle Donington, Leicestershire on Sunday 22nd February 2009.

The 11th annual Hog Charge event has raised an astounding Ksh 3, 252,897m for the Rhino Ark Aberdare Fence.

The Aberdare ecosystem is rich in nature’s wonders as demonstrated by a female cape buffalo with extraordinarily long, drooping horns. Scientists attribute this to a rare generic mutation that affects horn growth, mainly in females.

33 year-old Bakari M. Chongwa has been appointed the Senior Warden of Aberdare National Park. Energetic, intelligent, educated and well seasoned after 7 years of park management experience, Bakari represents the modern face of conservation management in Kenya.

20th November marked a significant day in the Rhino Charge calendar. Over 200 Rhino Charge competitors, supporters and committee members converged at the Simba Saloon, Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi to celebrate the launch of ‘Spirit of the Charge - 2008’ , a film about the 2008 Rhino Charge competition.

Miharati, a bustling agricultural area that lies on the north-western slopes of Mt. Kipipiri was the site of the formal start of construction of the final 55km long Kipipiri Extra Section of the Aberdare Electric Fence. The fence will encircle the 3,900 hectare Mt. Kipipiri Forest Reserve and link it, via a 4km long wildlife corridor, to the main Aberdare mountain range to the east.

To all our Chargers, donors, sponsors and friends of Rhino Ark,

You are warmly invited to the film premier of

"Spirit of the Charge 2008"

The UK Rhino Charge recently broke new ground by featuring on a professional motorsport website, http://www.worldrallysport.com.

The UKRC results can be found on the link
http://www.worldrallysport.com/content/uk-rhino-charge-2008-results.

Special thanks to Francisco La Torre, Chief Operating Officer of World Rally Sport Media, Inc. for the feature.

This is a great chance for you to interact with us. Share your views, experiences, ideas and interests with us on conservation and help improve Rhino Ark’s objective of conserving the Aberdare Ecosystem, one of Kenya’s finest indigenous forests and its total habitat.

Please diarise:

“SPIRIT OF THE CHARGE 2008 FILM LAUNCH”

November 20th, 6.00p.m.

Carnivore Restaurant, Simba Saloon

Full Programme details will follow.

We look forward to seeing you.

It will help you raise funds for your entry or the one you support!

Safaricom Foundation has issued a grant worth Ksh 2 million for two elephant grids: one at Nandarasi along the Naivasha - Aberdare National Park road (Phase Seven) and the other at Kieni (Phase Six) of the Aberdare Fence.

The grids are to be built to the Ministry of Civil Works standards and to be supervised by KWS Technical Unit.

Ksh 4Million is what Aggreko International has committed for constructing a permanent housing unit – Energizer house/Guard Post – for fence attendants working along the fence line.

The Energizer house is key to the long term maintenance programme for the Aberdare ecosystem. Construction starts in September 2008.

Want to know what has inspired millions all over Kenya?

Get yourself a copy of the Daily Nation this Thursday 24th July for a full page report in Horizon Magazine section on Rhino Charge, the official 2008 fundraising and event results.

A team comprising officers of Rhino Ark, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the District Administration held a meeting with the local community at Makumbi Sub-Location of Geta Location in Nyandarua South District. This was the first of a planned series of meetings aimed at mobilizing the local communities in the Kipipiri area to support the construction of the fence.

Rhino Charge 2008 held on Sunday (June 1) at Namunyak in Samburu District, raised Shs. 63,638,135.28 (USD 1 Million) in the event’s 20th anniversary.

The event was won by Alan McKittrick and team (McKittrick/Knight/Hutchinson/Trundell) in Car No. 5 scoring 62.31kms over all 13 guard posts.

A maximum 56 off-road vehicles are gearing up for Kenya’s wildest sports event – the Rhino Charge – on June 1.

This extreme test of driving skills and physical endurance is recognised as the toughest off-road challenge in the world, but before the whacky-weekend of fun and madness in the bush there's another race: to raise the highest sponsorship.

For many months now, the six-man crews in each vehicle have been canvassing their friends, running fund-raiser parties, presenting to corporates, doing stunts and lobbying overseas donors to maximize the purse the event will generate for the epic “Aberdare Project” – a 400 km fence that will preserve the forest habitat and water catchment, and protect neighbouring farms from wildlife.

The 10th annual Hog Charge event has raised Ksh 2, 776,308 for the Rhino Ark Aberdare Fence.

Held at the Kahawa Sukari Ranch, Ruiru, on Sunday 27th April, it attracted 83 teams from over 17 schools. Children from different schools participated in this event and hundreds of supportive parents and friends attended.

Aberdares’ most valued asset for all Kenyans is its water catchment. p>Plans for any developments must be conditional on this prime asset.

An integrated Ecosystem Management Plan that commits all ad hoc plans to the scrutiny of a ‘holistic policy’ and the revenue positive role the Rhino Ark Aberdare fence and its ‘access protocols’ into the Aberdare Conservation Area were stressed as ‘prime requirements’ by the Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service directors at the commissioning of the 60 km of Phases Seven and Eight on April 24th.

Rhino Charge entrants to this weekend’s Rob’s Magic Quattro Charge took the top six positions in the expert section.

Ten of the thirty entrants in the expert section were Rhino Charge cars. Winner Rommy Bamrah of Car 40 Rhino Charge received a winning bonus of Ksh 160,000 towards his Rhino Charge 2008 pledge.

A plan approved by the Trustees in April last year, to broaden the management structure of Rhino Ark required two positions to be filled.

James Githui, based in Nyeri was appointed Manager Fence/Community Development in August last year.

The second position of Resource Development Manager has now been filled effective February 1 this year. Eric Kihiu joins Rhino Ark having served in a variety of senior management positions (non uniformed) in Kenya Wildlife Service, including project and assets management, and most recently heading the Productivity Department tasked with ISO 9000 preparation.

Well done to Khiloni Shah, who ran the HydroActive Womens Challenge on the 16th September and raised £250 for Rhino Ark.

Thank you for your support! Fancy a full marathon next?!

A grant of usd dollars 50,000 (ksh 3.3 million) is being provided by UNDP’s Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) to Rhino Ark.

The grant is to support Rhino Ark’s Bongo Surveillance Project initiated in the Aberdares and outreaching to Mt. Kenya and other mountain forests in which the project has identified remnant herds of wild Bongo.

Nobel Laureate Prof Wangari Maathai has become a patron of the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust.

This was announced in a joint communiqué from the Chairman of Rhino Ark’s Board of Trustees, Michael Karanja and Prof Maathai.