New fire on Kilimanjaro!

Monday 15th October 2007

According to reports, fires broke out last month on Kilimanjaro which almost led to the cancellation of several expeditions. The fires broke out on the 20th September near the Rongai Route, the only route on the northern side of the mountain. As is common, locals are blaming honey gatherers who, contrary to the rules of the national park, deliberately start fires to smoke the bees out of their nests in order to be able to collect the honey. Because the northern side receives the least amount of rainfall, the fires spread quickly, incinerating vegetation, killing insects and destroying ground-nesting birds. Over 15 square kilometres of the mountain was affected before, thankfully, it was eventually put out.

Expeditions are once more using the Rongai Route, though the damage caused by the fire does mar the landscape on certain parts of the mountain.

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