Adult Cheetah, Masai Mara, Kenya
Since it is raining every day in Houston this week, let’s talk about the consequences of prolonged drought and weather pattern shift. Sounds like a weighty topic? It is which is why I am going to just give two examples of the effects changing weather may have on wildlife and people.
Africa 2009. Mali to be exact. Timbuktu! Who thought that was a made up place only seen in movies? Geography lesson – go to a search engine and find Mali within the African continent. Mali holds what is thought to be the last remaning population of desert elephants in Africa and being desert elephants, they have adapted to living in harsh conditions. According to Save the Elephants, each year, these elephants trek farther on the fringes of the Sahara to find water. They have the longest migration route of any in the continent, traveling “in a counterclockwise circle” of about 700 kilometers (435 miles).
Here is the lingering issue from what is perceived to be the worst drought in nearly three decades in that region. The lack of water has forced elephants to compete with the herdsmen who manage livestock for water resources such as waterholes and wells, many of them man-made for the livestock. The herdsmen need to feed their communities and the wildlife need to drink to survive so you can see the serious issue that can and did occur. In other parts of Africa, this scenario played out with the continents top predators such as Lions and Leopards.
In East Africa, drought sticken lands led to loss of vegetation so when the rains finally did arrive in the fall they brought with them mudslides, crop destruction, waterborne diseases and disrupted road networks accoridng to the the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Back home in Texas, drought hit Central and Southern Texas and is actually into it’s 3rd year and is effecting some of the areas natural resources such as the spring-fed Barton Creek, a popular tourist destination as well as wildlife, ranchers and agricultural operations.
Enjoy the wet weather while we have it. It is consistent weather patterns we need to break these erratic cycle worldwide.
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