The worst drought Kenya has suffered in over ten years is affecting both humans and wildlife according to recent reports. Especially hard hit is the country’s population of elephants and other large animals. The current drought, which has been going on for at least three years, has become an issue of national preservation, as both humans and animals alike are suffering from a lack of drinking water. This is just one of many problems plaguing Kenya.
The global economy has had a big impact on many regions of Africa, especially those which rely on a large amount of foreign aid for survival. Some countries are not providing the same level of aid that they traditionally have, which makes the drought in Kenya even more of an issue because people are also suffering from a lack of food as well.
The drought is also decimating the animal population. According to conservationists in the region, over sixty African elephants have already died in Kenya and the number is expected to grow. African elephants are already at risk due to poachers and their low birth rate, so a loss of this proportion could do untold damage to the future of the species.
Zebra, crocodiles, lions, and wildebeests, all iconic animals in Africa, are also in danger from the drought. Animals are either dying of thirst or because of a lack of edible vegetation to the small amounts of water. The usually heavy rains that fall in March and April have not come this year, and some areas of Kenya have been without rain for much longer.
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