Evidence of the effects of an extended drought in Kenya is starting to compile in the most gruesome of ways. Elephants and other wildlife in Kenya are thought to be dying by the dozens, as an extended drought has left much of the East African nation without water or food. The drought, which has spanned more than three rainy seasons, is the worst that Kenya has suffered in over a decade. It became apparent in a Kenyan airport that some hope to take advantage of the destruction, when a large amount of ivory was attempted to be smuggled out of the country.
Kenyan Wildlife Service agents along with local police uncovered a large shipment of raw ivory which was headed to countries all over the world. The boxes which were seized contained over five hundred kilograms of raw ivory and were thought to be headed to both Ethiopia and Thailand. This adds to another shipment of even larger amounts of raw ivory which was uncovered by Ethiopian officials just a few days earlier. The two shipments were thought to be connected.
Although authorities cannot positively link the ivory to any of the dead elephants in Kenya, it is thought that the large amounts are due to both poaching and elephants that have died as a result of the current droughts. The Kenyan Wildlife Service says that although no suspects have yet been arrested that they are investigating in conjunction with local police.
Kenyan officials estimate that at least one hundred and twenty five elephants have died as a result of poaching but think that a large amount of the seized ivory came from elephants that died as a result of lack of food and water.
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