W@ssup

Elephant conservation received a major boost with the appointment of Hollywood star Edward Norton as the Magical Kenya Tembo Naming Festival ambassador. The American actor and filmmaker will help raise the profile of the festival, an annual activity to support conservation of elephants in the country. The inaugural Tembo naming Festival, which was held on October 21, last year, saw a total of Sh16.5 million raised from individuals and corporates in the country. The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife targets to raise Sh100 million within the financial year 2021/2022.

Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Najib Balala while announcing the appointment said that Edward Norton’s global appeal and passion towards protection of nature and species will take the conservation efforts to the next level. “We have chosen to work with Edward because he has a passion for conservation and biodiversity and his social status will help us to realise our goals in raising awareness and solving the problems that face our wildlife. His interests extend to areas that include habitat loss, deforestation, species extinction, and the need for sustainable consumption patterns among people in industrialised countries.

These are critical elements in conservation which are important to us,” said the CS. Away from Tinseltown, Norton is an environmental activist and serves as president of the American branch of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. He is also the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity. Speaking at the unveiling, which was preceded by a morning game drive at Nairobi National Park as well as a briefing at the KWS command centre that aids the research and patrol teams with targeted wildlife data, Edward felt honoured by the appointment. “I am passionate about conservation and the preservation of our environment which includes nature and wildlife as we know it. It is, therefore, encouraging to see such initiatives aimed at boosting the protection and conservation of species,” he said.

Edward noted that appealing to human goodwill alone to drive the conservation agenda was not enough and that the world needs to confront reality that biodiversity is interwoven with the wellbeing of our economies. Proving the economic viability of conservation, he explained, would go a long way in ensuring sustainable conservation practices. He referred to the Chyulu forest carbon offsetting project, which is set to raise unprecedented economic value in the near future for the community involved in her conservation.

He further commended Kenya for her strides in conservation noting it was in the DNA of Kenyans to conserve, even comparing how the once impressive American bison migration had dwindled to a few vestigial herds while the wildebeest migration still thrives. Kenya, Edward asserted, has the enviable opportunity to showcase a viable conservation model for the world, especially how she has been able to involve and draw inspiration from her community custodians.

Edward Norton has a long-standing relationship with Kenya and some of his family lives here. Leshan, for that is his adopted Maa name, even had his wedding conducted in Maa fashion. “Kenya is a shining example of integration in the way life should be, we must be able to address sustainability within the context of human activity in the world. Kenya has led the way in showing this. A huge need of tourism in Kenya is the need for people to come and see that which they don’t have in their countries,” he added. In 2021, the Ministry of Tourism and wildlife through the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) conducted the first ever wildlife census geared towards understanding the number of wildlife resources in the country. Through the census it was established that Kenya is home to a total of 36,280 elephants, representing a 21 per cent growth from 2014, when poaching was at its peak.

This increase has been thanks to the sustained government crackdown on poaching and illegal ivory trade. To show his support for the cause, Edward adopted a five-month old female elephant while pledging to adopt the rare Amboseli Park twins calved in June 2021 after his children Atlas and Evaline. Also present was the Kenya Tourism Board CEO Dr Betty Radier who noted that the appointment of Edward Norton would be important in setting in motion the conversation around conservation of wildlife and natural resources in Kenya and across Africa.

Star of the superhero movie, ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Edward Norton is a Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee who has featured in numerous blockbusters over a three-decade long career, including ‘Red Dragon’, ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, ‘The Bourne Legacy’, ‘Birdman’, ‘American History X’, ‘Fight Club’, ‘Primal Fear’, ‘The Score’, ‘25th Hour’, ‘The Illusionist’, ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, and ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’.