Graphic images have circulated online showcasing the six giraffes lying dead together after they got stuck in the mud in Sabuli Wildlife Conservancy in Wajir County.
It is believed they got stuck in the mud when they attempted to drink from a nearby reservoir, which had almost dried up.
It is clear from the photo taken that the giraffes died a while back as their bodies show a sign of decomposition.
Photo by Ed Ram/Getty Images
Intense drought
Three consecutive poor rainy seasons in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) have exhausted families’ coping capacities and left more than 2.9 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
In October 2021, some areas of coastal and south-eastern Kenya reported their worst rainfall performance since 1981.
The worsening drought has significantly hampered crop production and damaged livestock, leaving nearly 2.4 million people in the ASAL region struggling to put food on their table every day.
(Photo by Ed Ram/Getty Images)
Water sources for both people and livestock have dried up, forcing families to walk longer distances and causing tensions among communities, which has led to an increase in inter-communal conflict. In some counties, families have started to adopt extreme coping mechanisms.
Cases of child marriage have been reported in some areas and school dropouts reported in Kilifi, Kwale and Tana River, where children are engaging in labour or survival activities to support their families, including producing charcoal to generate income or walking in search of water.