A severe drought in Kenya
is attacking humans and animals alike, parching upwards
of half of the country, leaving death in its wake. Just
recently, rangers at the Sabuli Wildlife Conservancy in
northeast Kenya discovered six of their
protected giraffes laying dead, starved and
dehydrated to death. The desperate animals had
apparently been struggling to reach a water reservoir
when their malnourished legs got caught in mud.
Too weak to escape, all six creatures
died right there, stuck, yearning for water that they
would never reach. Even worse, these six
parched giraffes are a warning sign: more giraffes are
about to die if something doesn't
change.
The extreme drought has depleted
not only the region's water, but also most plants and
crops, and it's clearly linked to climate change.
Droughts in African countries are occurring more
frequently and lasting longer than they have
historically — with no rain yet in sight for Sabuli in
Kenya. Experts say approximately 4,000
additional giraffes as well as more than 2 million
Kenyans are also at risk of slow, painful
deaths from drought-induced starvation. Kenyan
authorities are working hard around the clock to provide
for both their people and their wildlife — but
we as an international community can do more to help.
Sign the petition to urge the
United Nations to commit to providing humanitarian
relief and wildlife assistance during the drought
ravaging
Kenya!
