Kenya2Kruger with Kayla and Chris

Kayla Parker and her boyfriend Chris Adam will be taking on the ultimate endurance challenge next year when they plan to cycle from Kenya to Kruger all in the name of rhino conservation, traversing through six countries in order to spread the message about the devastating effects of rhino poaching.

Kayla’s father, Tim Parker has been working in conservation for the last 30 years and runs his own wildlife management business in Hoedspruit. Kayla has therefore spent her life immersed in the wildlife on Hoedspruit’s doorstep and with it, the good and bad parts of the wildlife conservation.

On the negative side of things, she has witnessed the brutality of rhino poaching and watched her father engage in the war against poachers. She has seen rhino poaching statistics increase over the last few years and watched how poaching has affected the Hoedspruit community.

“I thought to myself, what exactly can I do?” she told the HOEDSPRUIT HERALD.

So Kayla and her boyfriend decided to combine their passion of rhino conservation with their love of cycling and hope to use the expedition to educate people in rural communities along the way about the devastating effects of rhino poaching.

The pair will engage with school children from rural primary schools along the way and give the learners a short presentation about rhino poaching. They will then conduct a quiz afterwards and hand out sponsored merchandise to the learners with the most correct answers.

“We hope to make a difference through education,” says Kayla.

Read: Hoedspruit Wildlife Corner: Rhino de-horning

The pair plan to ride approximately 80 to 100 kilometres per day and will cycle 2000 kilometres in total through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and ending in South Africa.

Kayla advises that there are sections in Zambia that they will not be able to cycle as they have been advised that it will be too dangerous. Their personal safety is paramount in the expedition.

Some friends and well wishers have committed to cycle certain legs of the journey with Kayla and Chris.

Kayla shared that planning the trip has not been without difficulties, “It has been harder than we thought. Not everyone shares the same passion,” she said.

Kayla and Chris are still looking for much needed support that will bring their trip dreams into fruition and they are currently fundraising for and seeking sponsorship for much needed equipment, merchandise, fuel for the back-up vehicle and indeed, a vehicle itself.

Read: Balule teams bust three suspected rhino poachers

The trip will not be possible without a support vehicle travelling with the pair.They hope to start the trip in May 2019 when they will drive the support vehicle from Hoedspruit to Kenya, where their conservation expedition will begin.

The trip will end as they join the Hoedspruit Rotary Cycle Race which is due to take place on July 20, 2019.

Kayla and Chris will be undertaking the challenge under the banner of the non-profit organisation, NkombeRhino.

To assist with their venture, Kayla can be contacted via email at kenya2kruger@gmail.com or telephonically on 076 275 7620.