At least 70 elephants are reported dead following the prolonged drought encountered in Tsavo national park, said Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala on Wednesday, July 13 when addressing Kilifi residents.
Due to the scarcity of water in the park, the elephants have been encroaching on residential areas searching for water.
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| Tsavo National Park records at least 70 elephants who died from drought. Photo: [Courtesy] |
“Lack of enough water in Tsavo National Park has prompted a high death rate of elephants. As I speak, the park has lost a significant figure of around 70 elephants due to drought,” CS Balala said.
Most affected areas are Ganze and Magarini Constituencies which recorded cases of elephants destroying mass agricultural products causing an escalation of drought and hunger in the two areas.
CS Balala added that poaching of antelopes has reduced the population and that causing hostile animals like lions and hyenas to invade the residential places in search of prey.
“There must be coexistence between communities and conservancies. We best be brother’s keeper so that we conserve our wild animals”, Balala added.
He further warned the residents about the tendency to hunt wild animals, affirming that there shall be a five years jail term for the convicts.
Meanwhile, the government has pledged to install dams to store water for wild animals to avoid a death influx.
“We are now constructing dams for wild animals in Tsavo to avoid the deaths of animals as well as mitigate the animal’s invasion of residential areas,” Balala informed the Kilifi residents.
