Running the Jungle Ultra in June 2016 will be a

large team of dedicated international runners

representing Running for Rangers, a

fundraising campaign working in conjunction

with Space for Giants, Tusk and Save the Rhino

and supporting the brave men who protect

Africa’s endangered Rhinos and Elephants.

Between the multi-billion dollar illegal trade in

wildlife goods and Africa’s last remaining

Elephants and Rhinos, stand the continent’s

Park Rangers. With Rhino horn priced at

$65k - $80k per kilo and Elephant ivory at

$1,200 per kilo the resources of the poachers

are colossal and the temptation to poach is

greater than ever.

The Rangers are embroiled in a constant battle

against well organised and heavily armed

criminal groups. Around 1,000 rangers are

estimated to have died globally since 2003,

most at the hands of poachers and armed

militias.

Running for Rangers are working to redress the

balance. They will take on 230km of sweltering

jungle trail in the hope of raising $1.4 million in

sponsorship to support 208 rangers based in

Kenya.

Recently we were able to spend some time

speaking to team member Sam Taylor, 33, a

conservation officer in Kenya. Sam takes

care of the wildlife and security of the Borana

Conservancy, a non-profit conservation

organisation, close to Mount Kenya,

dedicated to the sustainable conservation of

critical habitat and wildlife.

Sam was born and raised in Kenya and has a

deep love of the wilderness. Having studied

zoology in New Zealand Sam always intended

to return and work to protect the land he

loved and now works with the Rangers every

day.

Sam said the money raised by taking part in

the Jungle Ultra will be used for equipment

needed to fight a war against poaching.

He said: “Ivory and Rhino horn have reached

such value as a status symbol and for their

perceived medicinal value in the far east that

it has now created a new breed of poacher

who is armed to the teeth and willing to risk

his life for his trade.

“Our rangers risk their lives to protect.

So we’re doing all we can to make sure

they have the best kit possible. This

whole challenge is about protecting the

welfare of those blokes and raising

awareness of what they’re up against.”

Sam Taylor and his team are hoping for

the $1.4m they need to provide

uniforms, medical supplies, training and

specialist equipment to over 200 Kenyan

rangers for a year. The reserves and

conservancies pay for wages and basic

equipment but they’re extremely

stretched. The Running for Rangers team

want to help better arm and equip the

rangers for their fight against the

poachers.

This is expensive work, the thermal

Imaging kit alone required to fight at

night, for example, can cost £9 thousand a

set.

They have good form as fundraisers

though, five of the team, including Sam,

raised $160,000 last year by running the

Marathon des Sable through the Sahara.

Even having finished that race though,

Sam is under no illusion about how hard

the Jungle Ultra will be.

He said: “We have guys in the team who

have never run a marathon. None of us are

professionals and we don’t know a lot

about the jungle. We’ll be working

together to make sure we all get over the

finish line.”

The 17 person team come from all around

the world but are all in some way

connected to the rangers’ conservation

work. They have each covered their own

costs to head to Peru in June and take on

the 150 mile run in temperatures reaching

40 degrees and humidity levels near 100%.

Over in Kenya Sam is training daily running

with the rangers themselves as they go

through their daily training. But solo training

runs are a different prospect as there is al-

ways a chance of running into an elephant or

a lion out there.

Kris King, our Race Director, is very pleased to

have Running for Rangers on board. He said:

“We can’t wait to meet them. We’ve always

thought the only thing tougher than the races

we plan are the competitors. They’re almost

always running for causes bigger than

themselves and we’re really happy to be able

to give them that platform.”

You can meet the Running for Rangers team

and support them by visiting

runningforrangers.com