Concerns over wildlife, water supply, as wildfire rages across Mount Kenya

A wildfire has burned about 8,700 hectares of vegetation on Mount Kenya since the fire was first reported on Sept 1, Mount Kenya Trust, an environmental conservation group, said.

Authorities are yet to announce the cause, but teams from the Mount Kenya Trust, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Defence Forces, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Rhino Ark, assisted by community members and aerial support from Tropic Air, continued efforts Tuesday to contain the remaining flames.

The fire has raised concerns about possible damage to wildlife, water sources and the mountain’s fragile high-altitude habitats.

Mount Kenya National Park and the surrounding natural forest are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site encompassing forests, wetlands and alpine ecosystems.

Rivers originating on the mountain provide water for communities, farms and wildlife across parts of central and eastern Kenya.

The wider Mount Kenya ecosystem is also home to threatened wildlife, including the critically endangered mountain bongo.

Mount Kenya rises to 5,199 metres, making it Kenya’s highest mountain and Africa’s second-highest after Mount Kilimanjaro in neighboring Tanzania, which stands at 5,895 metres.

Mount Kenya is considerably lower than Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain at 8,849 metres, but its equatorial alpine ecosystem, glaciers and biological diversity give it global environmental importance.