• Drought in Kajiado has heightened human-wildlife conflicts in the last three months
• KWS warns Kajiado residents against fighting wild animals moving to residential areas in search of food and water.
An elephant has died from thirst, hunger and old age in Kajiado Central subcounty.
Residents of Olepolos village on Saturday morning found the elephant dead.
County KWS senior warden Muteru Njauuini told the Star the elephant died because of lack of water, hunger and old age.
He said it is a common feature in parts of the county to find wild animals’ dead after prolonged drought. The official said most watering points and springs have dried up.
“The drought has also dried up plantation eaten by elephants and other herbivores. This has forced them to move to residential areas in search of water and grass,” Njauuini said.
He said there is also an increase in human-wildlife conflict in areas that border national parks and reserves because of the drought.
A week ago, the Star reported that a leopard attacked and seriously injured four people after it killed three goats in Bissil.
The KWS official said predators leave the parks in search of antelopes that have moved to open fields in search of pasture. They end up attacking unprotected livestock.
Njauuini said residents are supposed to fence off their cows, goats and sheep pens to keep out wild animals. He said there should prove they were killed in a protected area when people seek compensation.
“We have warned residents that once their livestock is eaten by predators, they should report the matter to us instead of fighting the beasts,” he said.
While the KWS is worried that the drought is taking a toll on the wildlife, residents are concerned about the welfare of their livestock.
Olepolos residents have appealed to the county government to sink more boreholes in their area because the open water pans have been taken over by wild animals.
Elder Paul Siloma said the drought situation requires "heavenly intervention".
Kenyan pastoralists, who used to cross over to Tanzania during the drought, fear arrest and confiscation of their livestock.
The Tanzanian government has banned cross-border grazing of livestock and has clearly indicated that any Kenyan livestock found in the country would be confiscated and auctioned.
Reports reaching Kajiado indicates some parts of Tanzania have received sufficient rainfall, but because of restrictions, Kenyan livestock cannot cross over.
Kenyan and Tanzanian livestock herders have been collaborating for many generations until after President John Magufuli took over power and came up with strict legislation on movement of livestock across international borders.
Magufuli argues that his government is spending millions of shillings in tackling livestock diseases, yet Kenyans cross over "with infected animals".
Meanwhile, River Ewuaso Ng’iro, which flows through Kajiado West subcounty from Narok to Lake Natron in Tanzania is at the brink of drying up.
Deputy county commissioner William Kakimoni on Saturday said the water situation is dire and if it does not rain soon, there would a major problem with the people and their livestock.