Why Governor Kawira is shipping virgin bongos to Meru County

Meru Bongo and Black Rhino Conservation Trust have completed a sanctuary in readiness for 22 Mountain Bongo to be flown from the US in January.The trust's patron, Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, and chairman John Kinoti announced the completion of the first phase of the project meant to conserve critically endangered species.The second phase includes building a sanctuary for the conservation of the Black Rhino, another endangered species, on a 250-acre sanctuary around the Mucheene-Ntirimiti area of Mount Kenya Forest. The 22 animals, 20 of them female, are expected to be put in specially made crates and flown into Nairobi aboard a jetliner and then transported to the sanctuary.Mwangaza and Kinoti said with the Mountain Bongo on the brink of extinction the trust had put in place adequate measures to ensure the animals arrive in Kenya safely and are able to multiply inside a guarded sanctuary.A temporary holding area fitted with paddocks has been set up to enable the animals to acclimatize and settle after landing before they are released into the wild.Kinoti said with the entire country having less than 100 Mountain Bongo, the trust had taken stringent steps to ensure their survival and multiplication."There are so many restrictions we have to take up but the future is great," he said.The animals are currently under the care of the Florida Rare Species Conservatory Foundation.Kinoti revealed that the bongos, aged between 3 and 7, will be flown as transporting them by sea would take too long and cause them much stress."There will be males and females, all virgins!" he said."From Florida, there will be one stop for refueling then direct to Nairobi. They will then be offloaded by KWS, taken four hours by road, and released into the sanctuary. We are praying hard that there will be no casualties," Kinoti said.Mwangaza who will lead a team to the US for the selection of the animals said they have a license from KWS. []