While at the Summer Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City this past July I saw a very cool product that was coming our way courtesy of BioLite. The new Solar Home 620 is an out-of-the-box solution to bring solar power and lighting to cabins, vans, or even the campsite. But even more impressive was how BioLite was already using the kit in 5000 homes across Kenya to transform the lives of people who live there. In this video you'll see exactly what this product brings to the table, not just for us, but for the people of Kenya who are receiving affordable, efficient, and useful power for the very first time.
Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts
Rare White Giraffes Remind Us How Amazing Our World Can Be
But, the creatures don't suffer from albinism as some suspected. Instead, they have a very rare genetic condition called leucism. This trait doesn't allow an animal to create pigmentation in its skin cells, while other organs can continue to form naturally. Albino animals usually have pink eyes, but these giraffes – and other creatures with leucism – have natural looking eyes instead.
Fortunately, this trait doesn't have any lasting impact on their ability to survive in the wild, and in this case the mother obviously passed on the rare genetic defect to the calf. But, as you'll see in the video below, it gives them a unique quality that is simply magical. Something tells me that the Hirola Conservation Area is about to get a lot more visitors.
Fortunately, this trait doesn't have any lasting impact on their ability to survive in the wild, and in this case the mother obviously passed on the rare genetic defect to the calf. But, as you'll see in the video below, it gives them a unique quality that is simply magical. Something tells me that the Hirola Conservation Area is about to get a lot more visitors.
Video: Of Choss and Lions - Climbing Big Walls in Africa with Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright
In this video we join rock climbers Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright as they travel to Kenya to climb one of the biggest walls in Africa on Mt. Poi. Along the way they encounter plenty of wildlife and some dicey climbing conditions. And of course, this being Alex and Cedar, they have plenty of fun on their adventure too.
Video: A Kenya Safari By Radio Controlled Car
This short, but very sweet, video takes us to Kenya, where a couple of ingenious travelers came up with the idea of strapping a GoPro camera to a radio controlled car, essentially turning it into a makeshift, ground-based drone. The results were pretty spectacular, as they managed to capture some of the most iconic wildlife of the Masai Mara up close and personal.
Video: Experience Kenya From the Air
I love Africa, and thanks to this video I'm reminded why. It is a beautiful, amazing place that once it gets into your heart, it is impossible to shake. Here, we take a tour of Kenya using drone footage to explore the landscapes, people, and wildlife of East Africa. It is a wonderful look at a destination that every adventure traveler should see. The diversity of things to do there is astounding, as you'll see in this 4+ minute clip.
Kenya from the Air from Matador Network on Vimeo.
Garissa University update
#Kenya - Police Arrest 5 More People Over The Suspected Link Of #Garissa #University Attack - Media Report pic.twitter.com/fmS3vkU3z6
— Terrormonitor.org (@Terror_Monitor) April 4, 2015 Poachers Kill World's Largest Elephant
Outside Online is reporting that the largest elephant in the world has been slaughtered in Kenya by poachers looking to claim its tusks. The elephant, who was so well known there that he was named Satao, was struck and killed by a poisoned arrow on May 30. The poachers then went on to hack off his face to claim the giant tusks for sale on the black market. The only way to identify the creature was by his ears, and rangers recognizing the patterns of mud that had been observed on his body a few days earlier.
Ivory is still in high demand in certain parts of the world, and as a result, elephants continue to be hunted illegally throughout Africa. The Outside report indicates that 97 elephants have already been poached in Kenya this year, and the numbers in other countries are even higher. Considering how low the number of elephants on the continent already are, those high number of deaths is alarming. It may not be that many more years before there are no wild elephants left there.
Satao was part of a special breed of elephants known as the great tuskers, who are renowned for growing extremely large tusks, His were estimated to be 100 pounds (45 kg) each, which made him a prime target for poachers. But elephants are very smart creatures, and Satao had learned over time that it was best to keep his tusks hidden from man. He would often stay concealed in the brush to prevent anyone from seeing just how large they actually were. With his death, there are only about a dozen of the great tuskers still known to be alive in Africa.
Kenya has been working hard to protect its elephant herds, and has deployed more anti-poaching squads to help stop the illegal activity. But the demand for ivory (and rhino horns) is so high, that poachers will go to great lengths to nab their prey. With resources stretched to the limit, and a lot of wild ground to cover, it is difficult to keep the animals safe. Still, Kenya has been more successful in their conservation efforts than a lot of countries, despite lots of internal strife in recent years. The death of Satao is a major blow for those efforts.
I'm not sure exactly what the answer is for illegal poaching. At the moment, it is far too lucrative of an enterprise for local hunters to give up easily. The punishment for the crime has increased dramatically in recent years, and efforts to stop the poachers have become more organized and sophisticated as well, and yet it seems that we continue to lose this fight. At this point, it appears that it won't end until there are no more animals to poach. Lets hope it doesn't come to that.
Video: GoPro Captures The Life Of An Elephant
Ever wondered what it is like to see the world through the eyes of an elephant? Well, you can wonder no more thanks to this video, which was shot on GoPro cameras in the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage, located in Kenya. The footage not only gives us a glimpse into the life of an elephant, it shows us their more playful side as well. These creatures are amazing, and seeing them up close in the wild has been one of the greatest joys of my many travel experiences.
I, Elephant from Cristian Dimitrius on Vimeo.
Everest 2014: First Kenyan To Attempt Everest To Promote Sanitation
Steve will depart Kenya on March 24 and plans to arrive in Base Camp on the South Side of Everest in the first week of April. He is part of the Chase Bank Kenya Everest Expedition, and will be joined by founder Toby Storie-Pugh on this climb. The two men have tuned up with one another on the 17,057 foot (5198 meter) Mt. Kenya – the tallest peak in that country – and Mt. Kilimanjaro, which is the tallest mountain in Africa at 19,340 feet (5894 meters).
But climbing Everest will be a much bigger challenge than either of those mountains. For starters, you don't need oxygen on Mt. Kenya or Kilimanjaro. Those climbs are also just a few days in length, while a Himalayan expedition will require 6-8 weeks to complete. Acclimatization will be much slower, the altitudes will be greater, and the technical challenges will be more intense. They'll be climbing the South Col route on the Nepali side of the mountain, where Base Camp is actually located at a higher altitude than Mt. Kenya's summit.
As I mentioned above, Steve and Toby won't be climbing simply for the challenge. They have larger goals in mind. They will use their expedition to support a nonprofit called Toilet Hackers, an organization that has dedicated itself to providing clean, sanitary toilets to the 2.5 billion people in the world who don't currently have one. They hope to accomplish this goal by 2025, thereby improving sanitation and health across the globe.
You'll be able to follow the progress of the Kenya Everest Expedition on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. They'll begin their journey next week when they depart for Kathmandu, and after a brief stay in the capital of Nepal, they'll start the trek to Base Camp. If all goes according to plan, they'll be there in early April with an eye on summating in mid- to late-May.
Good luck to Steve and Toby on this grand adventure.
SOUTH AFRICA BECOMING MORE LIKE USA?
South African president Jacob ZumaAfrica is becoming more like the USA and Europe?
In 2004, Edward Clay, the UK high commissioner in Kenya, said that corrupt Kenyan officials were "eating like gluttons" and "vomiting on the shoes" of donors. (UK Kenya envoy's comments justified?)
In South Africa, in October 2010, politically connected businessman Kenny Kunene spent a vast fortune on his 40th birthday.
Top people connected to President Jacob Zuma's government attended the party, where women 'dressed only in underwear' clung to Kunene's arm. (Elite 'spitting in faces of poor' - Sowetan LIVE)
Zwelinzima Vavi was at one time a child labourer.
Now he is General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
He has just crticised some of South Africa's "predatory elite" for "spitting in the faces of the poor" while guzzling "sushi... served from the bodies of half naked ladies."
Vavi's comments target wealthy relatives of both President Zuma and Nelson Mandela.
Julius Malema, a top man in President Zuma's party, is one of those alleged to have been using his position to win lucrative government contracts for several private companies that he runs, or used to run. (South African power broker Malema condemns 'smears')
According to Trade Unions boss Vavi, "Why sweat, when political connections and greasing the hand of those in political office can make you an instant billionaire? We are rewarding laziness, greed and corruption and discouraging hard work, honesty and integrity." (Spit, sushi, and the battle for South Africa's future)