More than 6,000 large wild animals have fallen victim to the ongoing drought in Kenya's Amboseli National Park alone over the past six months. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said Tuesday that more animals have died in a drought there since records began four decades ago. "The short rains are not enough for wildlife vital vegetation to recover," said Robert Kless, director of IFAW Germany.

The balance sheet in the national park at the foot of Kilimanjaro, which is popular with tourists, is therefore devastating. Between June and November, around 130 elephants, 3,900 wildebeest and 1,400 zebras died as a result of the drought. More than 90 of the threatened Maasai giraffes would not have survived the dry period either.

The Kenyan Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) reported last year that 205 elephants died in Kenya between February and October as a result of the drought. In addition to the Amboseli National Park, the neighboring Tsavo and Laikipia Samburu Park north of Mount Kenya were affected in 2022. Almost 50 Grevy's zebras died in Samburu despite a feeding program. The species is threatened with extinction, larger stocks only live in Kenya.

With its animal-rich nature reserves, Kenya is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa. However, the country in East Africa is currently being plagued by the worst drought in 40 years. A quick end to the crisis is not in sight, said Kless. "It would take at least three years of heavy rain for the situation to return to normal."