Aardvarks are specialized myrmecophages facing welfare challenges from drought events that reduce their ant and termite prey across African savannahs.
Prolonged droughts kill ant and termite colonies reducing prey availability catastrophically. Aardvarks in drought conditions become emaciated as they cannot replace the energy expended in foraging. Camera trap studies have documented dramatic weight loss leading to death during drought events. Burrow systems destroyed by land clearing remove shelter for the aardvark and the many species that use abandoned burrows. Road mortality is significant in areas near human settlements.