Mount Kenya's snows are fading: 16-08-2007
Fears are rising that the melting glaciers on Mount Kenya are affecting the landscape and deterring tourists.
Many visitors go to see the mountain each year, only to find that the snow and ice so often seen in pictures is disappearing.
The effect is blamed on global warming, which has apparently caused 80 per cent of the glaciers on the mountain to vanish.
As the second tallest mountain in Africa - after Mount Kilimanjaro - Mount Kenya attracts numerous visitors, especially hikers and mountain climbers looking to scale the 5,199m peak.
However, the disappearing glaciers have vanished to the point that some traditional routes are now impassable due to the lack of snow and ice.
"Most tourists visiting the mountain feel disappointed at the sight of bare rocks," said chairman of the Mount Kenya Biodiversity Conservation group John Ndegwa, speaking to website allAfrica.com.
Mr Ndegwa added sadly: "The white snow and ice that once added beauty to the mountain is long gone."
Mount Kenya is home to a variety of flora and fauna, and is surrounded by the UNESCO-protected Mount Kenya National Park.
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