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| September 22, 2009 | Drought in Kenya causing death of African elephants, other iconic animals | | Washington: Conservationists have announced that more than sixty African elephants and hundreds of other iconic
animals have died so far in Kenya amid the worst drought to hit the country in
over a decade. So-called "long rains" that usually fall in March and April failed
this year, and some areas in Kenya have now been in drought conditions for almost
three years. No one knows why the drought has been so bad. Many attribute it to
global warming, but others say it is simply part of the long-term weather cycle
in East Africa. According to a report in National Geographic News, since January,
at least 38 dead elephants have been found in the area around the Laikipia highlands
and Samburu National Reserve. In addition, 30 baby elephants have been reported
dead so far this year in Amboseli National Park, farther south, officials said.
Some of the animals died of thirst, while others starved due to lack of vegetation
or succumbed to diseases or infections due to weakened immune systems, according
to wildlife officials Many of Kenya's other iconic species, including lions, crocodiles,
zebra, and wildebeests, are also suffering in drought conditions and could start
dying at worrisome rates, according to wildlife officials. "The elephants are
very smart animals," said Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of the Nairobi-based
nonprofit Save The Elephants. "But I think they are going to die in large numbers,
and that goes for the other grazers and browsers, too," he added. One recent study
found that wildlife numbers both inside and outside Kenya's parks have fallen
by 40 percent since the 1970s. Conservation officials have been working to protect
some animals from the effects of the drought by feeding or relocating them. At
Mzima Springs in Tsavo West National Park, rangers have been laying out hay for
hippopotamuses to eat. The Kenya Wildlife Service has moved ten white rhinoceroses
from Lake Nakuru to Nairobi National Park, in part because the parched land can't
support the large animals. Also, the Nairobi-based David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
reports that recently it has been bringing an average of seven baby elephants
a month to its orphanage. | |
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