Hundreds of elephants, wildebeests and zebras dead in Kenya amid prolonged drought Published duration 28 May 2017
media caption The BBC World Service’s Muthoni Ndlovu reports on the desperate plight facing the wildlife
A quarter of the endangered wildebeest population in Kenya has died of malnutrition in the past month, conservationists say.
The BBC’s Muthoni Ndlovu reports on the desperate plight facing the wildlife.
The BBC’s Muthoni Ndlovu, who has been trying to get to the scene, reports on the deaths of the animals.
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“The dead animals show evidence of a lot of malnutrition,” says wildlife campaigner and Kenyan conservationist William Muranga, who set up Save The Elephants, an organisation that is working to save a number of elephants facing imminent deaths.
“And in the case of the wildebeest, there was also a lot of over-crowding because the last rains were late, but also because of low pastures.”
He says the dead animals show signs of “inadequate management”.
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The African elephant is one of the world’s most iconic animals, with its ivory tusks and its ability to move quickly over long distances.
It is also highly sought after for its meat.
According to Save The Elephants, the drought has been responsible for a huge spike in population growth – the population in 2012 was just over 100,000 and has soared to as much as 633,000.
The drought and malnutrition has been causing the population of the African elephant to fall dangerously low.
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“The biggest risk for wildebeest is predation,” says William Muranga.
“A lot of wildebeest are killed by dogs as they feed on the fruit or on the carcasses of dead elephants.
“A lot of them are also killed by wildebeest herders who are harvesting their animals.”
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