‘When we plant, they come’: thirsty elephants pose new problem for drought-hit Kenyan farmers

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https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/oct/27/kenya-elephants-farmers-drought-taita-taveta-county

By Peter Muiruri, The Guardian. 

Excerpt: When Francis Mutuku settled 35 years ago in Marungu, in Kenya’s south-eastern Taita-Taveta county, he had no concerns about how he would feed himself or a future family. Back then, the rains would come on time and he would harvest about 60 bags of maize and 20 bags of mung beans, enough to have a surplus for sale. In addition, there was “peaceful” coexistence between his family and the wild animals that roam the region. Mutuku’s two-hectare (5 acres) farm borders 33 wildlife conservancies and private ranches, and the vast Tsavo national park. “We did not have problems with elephants. Both had enough to eat,” says Mutuku. ...“Experts say we are suffering because people in rich countries have polluted the atmosphere,” says Mutuku. “I cannot plant maize any more and need to switch to crops that take a short time to mature and that require little water, such as green grams [mung beans].” ...The drought around the Tsavo conservation area has brought wild animals closer to farmers such as Mutuku, especially elephants scouring the area for food and water. A fully grown elephant can consume about 200kg of dry mass and 200 litres of water a day. During the week of our visit, two adult elephants and seven babies had passed by Mutuku’s home and destroyed his water-storage tanks. ...“When we plant, they come,” she says. “When we don’t plant, they still come. We beat the iron sheet roofing on our houses, but they are getting used to the noise. We shine torches on them and they don’t run away. There is little you can do when confronted by a herd of 14 elephants.” The Tsavo ecosystem is home to nearly 15,000 elephants, or 37% of Kenya’s elephant population, according to last year’s wildlife census. And while the country has fought hard to raise elephant numbers, the outgoing tourism minister, Najib Balala, told the BBC earlier this year that the climate crisis was killing “20 times more elephants than poaching”.… 

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