Corrupt Cops Helping to Cut Down Kenya’s Forests
By Brendan Leonard, Adventure Journal on November 2nd, 2012
It’s illegal to cut down trees in Kenya’s largest forest, but almost a quarter of its trees have been removed in the past 15 years, enabled by bribes to police and other officials — so furniture can be made for the wealthy. The bad news for Kenya’s future: deforestation of the almost 1-million-acre Mau Forest affects rainfall, which feeds the Mara River — and draws the annual wildebeest migration, a major source of tourism for the area. The Mara is down to half-flow during parts of recent years. More than 60,000 illegal settlers have aided illegal logging and have farmed land cleared by illegal logging, and efforts are underway to relocate them. Several arrests have been made as investigations continue. Via Trust.org.
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