Parched elephants during heatwave

During my visit to Botswana 2 weeks ago I experienced a heatwave and drought that is still in full swing, making it intolerable to all life.

At this waterhole I experienced herds coming running out of the bush towards the waterhole as they had not seen water in days. It was heartbreaking to see how they suffered as during the day the heat was so intolerable they could only stay panting under trees, and those unable to find an unoccupied tree had to wander in the sun in heat more than 50c.

The elephants consumed so much water here that the pumps were unable to pump fast enough. and the elephants ended up sucking water right out from the pipe, before the water reached the pool. Only in the morning would the pool be sufficiently filled.

Today this drought has reached worldwide news as in Zimbabwe's Hwange national park 200 elephants have died from the heatwave and drought. This number is expected to rise considerably in coming weeks if drought persists.

This might seem a lovely capture of elephants happily quenching their thirst, but they are stressed and hungry. To date there is no rain in sight, and the trend is drier. The normally lush Okavango was tinder dry and only the main channels had water, albeit low levels.
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