Welfare of Wild Elephants Affected by Drought

Droughts in elephant range countries in Africa and Asia cause prolonged suffering from thirst, starvation, and conflict as elephants seek water.

Key Facts

African elephants require up to 200 liters of water per day
Drought forces elephants to travel extreme distances to find water sources
Young elephants and calves are most vulnerable to dehydration during droughts
Human-elephant conflict increases dramatically around remaining water sources
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of droughts in elephant range

Welfare Considerations

Elephants in severe drought conditions experience profound suffering from thirst and starvation. Calves separated from water sources die within days. Adult elephants traveling extreme distances to water become exhausted and emaciated. Competition at remaining water holes causes conflict and injury between elephant families. The desperation of drought forces elephants into dangerous proximity with human settlements. Climate change-driven drought intensification is causing increasing elephant welfare emergencies.

What You Can Do

Support water provision programs for elephants during drought emergencies
Donate to elephant rescue organizations responding to drought crises
Advocate for climate action to reduce drought severity in elephant range countries
Support community water-sharing programs reducing human-elephant conflict at water sources