As East Africa continues to struggle with drought, diminishing supplies can occasionally have unexpected effects on animals.
As a result of low water levels at a dam close to the Tanzanian border, two elephants were stranded in the mud left last week in Kenya.
Elephants saved from mud caused by drought
EVANS KIMAIYO/AFP via Getty Images
Elephants enter drying dams in search of water, according to a statement issued by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust on Sunday.
After one slip, they find themselves in a dangerous predicament after getting trapped in the mud for good, as per Africa Times.
The elephants fell and cannot stand up again with what the wildlife experts describe as an all-too-common situation. Without assistance, it becomes a death trap, they continued.
Fortunately, Wildlife Works, a community-based conservation organization operating in Kenya, received a videotape of the two elephants after they were sighted.
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was approached for aviation support via their helicopter, and the Kenya Wildlife Service was sent to investigate.
Once rescue workers were able to dig into mud and lay bands underneath one female elephant, thought to be in her teens, she was extracted.
Then, after being extracted by a car, she was able to stand by herself.
The second elephant, perhaps eight years old, was even harder to free, but after being extricated from the muck, she fled into the woods.
These situations will recur if the drought persists, according to the Kenya-based foundation.
This time, they added, the squad was back in action just a few days after a similar incident happened in August, saving a very precious pair from the same muddy trap.
Wild animals are especially at risk during natural disasters.
Devastating effects can result from earthquakes, storms, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and forest fires, as per Animal Ethics.
All of this causes health issues for marine species and alters water circulation, which also has an impact on water temperature and nutrient availability.
Natural catastrophes frequently cause harm to nonhuman creatures in addition to humans. For wild animals, even odd natural occurrences that seem mild to humans can have disastrous effects.
Non-human animals' chances of surviving a natural disaster depend on a variety of circumstances, such as their adaptations, the stage of life they're in, whether it's the breeding season if they migrate or have other means of escaping, and the habitat they inhabit.
Their physical state or capacity for self-care are other issues she may be juggling.
Creatures with keen eyesight, hearing, or other senses, as well as birds that can fly away, and larger animals that can run swiftly, are more likely to escape.
Small animals are more likely to drown, have their burrows flooded by strong rains or floods, or be crushed or burned when confined and unable to flee.
Animals may be uprooted because they moved to safer areas or because strong winds or flood waters carried them away.
In a small space, displaced animals run the risk of serious disease epidemics and parasite infestations.
Due to the scarcity of food, malnutrition and famine also become significant threats. If the animals do not have access to proper shelter, they may also suffer from exposure to the sun, cold, or wind.
