Ahead of COP15, the UN Conference on Biodiversity opens this Wednesday, December 7 in Montreal with a huge challenge: sign a historic agreement in two weeks, in Amboseli in southern Kenya, near the border with Tanzania, the ground is dry and cracked underfoot. . There is no tall grass on the horizon, the leaves of the weakened trees are yellow. Animal carcasses lie along the road. ” The last big rain we had here was in December 2021 laments Josphat Wangigi Kagai, 37, a Ranger with the Nature Conservancy (KWS) who has been working at the park since 2016.
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He was just called by Kelembu Ole Nkuren, a Maasai herdsman, who, while tending his herd, discovered an elephant that had been dead for almost a month. Gutted by raptors and other predators, the pachyderm lies in a vast plain overlooked by the snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro. A stench surrounds the animal’s remains, which is only seven years old when elephants have a life expectancy of about 60 years. ” This elephant died of drought Josphat Wangigi Kagai laments. With the axe, he then works to remove the animal’s tusks to prevent them from being taken by poachers. ” We’ve been doing this practically every day for the past few weeks, this is the first time I’ve seen this, it makes me especially sad he sighs.
205 elephants, 512 wild bees, 381 zebras and 12 giraffes died as a result of the drought.
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Drought in Kenya, a result of climate change, has starved at least 4 million people (out of a population of over 50 million), but so has its exceptional wildlife, which makes it a popular tourist destination. According to Tourism Minister Penina Malonza, 205 elephants, 512 wild bees, 381 zebras and 12 giraffes died as a result of the drought between February and October.
In Amboseli, one of the country’s iconic parks along with the Masai Mara, wells are drying up and pastures are turning to dust. “Some time ago I saw an elephant that was exhausted, I gave him a drink, but it was too late. Moments later, he collapsed Josphat Wangigi Kaga says that zebras and antelopes are the most affected.
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“This drought is terrible (…) because everything is disappearing right now: zebras, wild bees, giraffes and elephants. I have never seen so many dead wild animalsassures Kelembu Ole Nkuren, a Maasai pastor who spent 35 years of his life in Amboseli. Before the drought you could see herds of elephants roaming this part of the park, today they are nowhere to be found. “, he continues. Rotting corpses of zebras, buffaloes and antelopes are stretched on the dry ground in the remote area of the park. Swarms of flies are forming. “The nearest water point is about thirty kilometers away, it was too far for them”, explains Josphat Wangigi Kagai.
Grass and Wells vs. Carnage
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More than 100 elephants have died in Amboseli Park since June, out of a total of 2,000, according to Norah Njiraini, who has been with the Amboseli Trust for Elephants since 1985, an organization that studies pachyderms in the park. The current period reminds him of another drought episode in 2009, which was especially deadly for elephants. Due to the lack of anticipation, this episode wasworse than todayfor animals, according to him. “In 2009 we lost mature women (…) and this year is different because we are losing the youngest.“, he worries. This year, environmental services and park staff are working to try to limit the effects of this drought. In Amboseli, the rangers bring grass to the animals every other day.
In Tsavo East National Park, about 140 km to the north, KWS drilled wells to bring water to the surface for the animals to drink. Between February and October, against all odds, fifty-four elephants died there. “According to weather forecasts, this rainy season’s rainfall (October to December) should not be sufficient,” emphasizes park director Kenneth Ochieng, despite a few recent showers. Despite the dry horizon, he wants to stayoptimisticand believes that the actions taken will yield results;The problems we have are man-made (global warming, editor’s note) and the solution also comes from a human“.
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Source: Le Figaro
I’m Ashley Mark, a news website author for Buna Times. I specialize in writing articles about current trends and breaking news stories. With my passion for uncovering the truth behind every story, I strive to bring readers the most up-to-date information available.