- TUI Wildlife Kenya protects endangered animals and improves water infrastructure to benefit wildlife and communities in the Tsavo region
- TUI Wildlife Costa Rica safeguards the endangered Great Green Macaw and Lemur Leaf Frog and creates sustainable tourism experiences
- Initiatives are part of the international TUI Wildlife programme, which protects endangered wildlife and habitats in destinations across the world
Berlin,
12 September 2024
Protecting endangered wildlife and empowering local communities: New TUI Wildlife projects launched in Kenya and Costa Rica to preserve unique ecosystems
Berlin, 12th September 2024. The TUI Care Foundation has launched two new TUI Wildlife projects aimed at safeguarding endangered wildlife and their habitats in two iconic tourism destinations. In many regions around the world, water scarcity and limited livelihood opportunities lead to adverse effects on the environment. This often results in the destruction of wildlife habitats through logging, overgrazing, extensions of farmland, and wildlife crimes. To support local communities and protect endangered wildlife, the TUI Care Foundation is working with local partners in Kenya and Costa Rica to address these challenges.
In Kenya, the Tsavo region is experiencing a severe yearlong drought. Disrupted weather patterns, irregular rainfall and high temperatures make its historically green terrain increasingly barren. To mitigate this, the TUI Care Foundation, in partnership with the African Wildlife Foundation, is launching TUI Wildlife Kenya. Five endangered species will be protected during a three-year project, including elephants, giraffes, lions, cheetahs and pangolins. Water access will be improved through separate water infrastructures and two boreholes, which will reduce competition for water resources for wildlife and livestock and will secure a water supply for over 20,000 people.
The initiative will also strengthen local farming systems by constructing three greenhouses to increase food security, setting three acres under drip irrigation, and supporting three poultry and pig farming groups. Together with the Taita Taveta Wildlife Conservancies Association (TTWCA), local livelihoods will be improved through entrepreneurship training and market linkages for sisal weaving and leather tanning production. Overall, around 300 members of local communities in Tsavo will receive training in climate-smart agriculture and in marketing their authentic products to the tourism industry.
Through TUI Wildlife Costa Rica, in partnership with Work with Nature as part of Adopt Rainforest, the habitat of a variety of species, including the endangered Great Green Macaw and Lemur Leaf Frog, will be protected in the area around Barbilla National Park. The reserve is rich in biodiversity and covers 275 hectares of rainforest. However, significant deforestation in this area means that many tree and animal species are lost or threatened. During the three-year project, 4,000 Almendro trees will be planted and nesting boxes will be installed to provide food and nesting opportunities for the Great Green Macaw. In addition, the project will create a number of frog pools to support the critically endangered Lemur Leaf Frog that has been successfully reintroduced into the area over recent years. Camera traps will enable the detection, counting and monitoring of wildlife. To protect the reserve, local rangers will be trained to conserve the flora and fauna of the rainforest. Through walking tours, tourists and the local community will have the unique opportunity to observe and explore this remarkable ecosystem.
Both projects are part of TUI Care Foundation’s TUI Wildlife Programme, which aims to protect endangered wildlife and habitats in tourist destinations worldwide.
