A forest fire on Mount Kilimanjaro is continuing to blaze for a third day as Tanzanian firefighters try to contain it.
The fire, which is in a conservation area, is threatening the alpine ecological zone mostly inhabited by birds and reptiles.
"Major destruction has been on the grass and shrubs. There are also birds, lizards, snakes, frogs and varied creatures leaving in this area and have been affected", said Tanzanian Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Hamisi Kigwangalla.
The altitude of the fire, dry weather conditions and strong winds are making firefighters' efforts fruitless.
On Tuesday, the team had contained a large portion of the burning area only to wake up on Wednesday to a rekindled fire.