Standard proprietor Evgeny Lebedev, patron of The Giants Club, said the summit and burning sent a powerful signal that the illegal wildlife trade must be stopped: “We need to remember an elephant is being killed every 20 minutes. If we let that carry on, this magnificent animal could be extinct.”
At the gathering, Mr Kenyatta was joined by Presidents Ali Bongo of Gabon and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. US deputy secretary of state Heather Higginbottom brought a message from Barack Obama, and delegations came from countries including Botswana, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Russia.
Financiers pledged over $5 million (£3.4 million) in immediate funding for new Kenyan, Gabonese, Botswanan, and Ugandan initiatives.
UK-based group Elephant Family pledged $500,000 (£340,000); the UN Office on Drugs and Crime $300,000 (£203,500); and the ICCF Group, an international conservation organisation, $200,000 (£135,500).
American philanthropist Jody Allen, co-founder of the Paul G Allen Family Foundation, gave backing for a special operations unit and strengthened legal capacity for Botswana.
Kim Tan, chief executive of SpringHill Management, also made commitments of support. Sir Elton John, Sir Richard Branson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Bear Grylls all sent messages of support.
“It is an amazing thing that so many important people are coming to-gether to discuss a subject that affects all humanity,” Sir Elton said.
Liu Xianfa, China’s ambassador to Kenya, read a letter from President Xi Jinping describing the “great importance” he placed on the summit, and promising China’s future support. Kenyan pop group Sauti Sol perform at a gala dinner. Among the initiatives announced at the event:
Gabon will double its National Parks Agency staff from 750 to 1,500;
Uganda intends to construct an electrified fence around Murchison Falls National Park to reduce incidents of human-elephant conflict;
Botswana plans an intelligence-led special operations unit to support wildlife rangers;
Kenya will launch a National Conservation Endowment Fund, whose profits will finance wildlife pro- tection.
