Guy Noticed Wild Animals Were Suffering In Drought So He Comes Up With Genius Plan.

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Beverly L. Jenkins
Writer @ InspireMore
Posted: December 25, 2018

The words on the side of the tanker truck simply say, “Water is life.”

Every decade or so, the Tsavo West National Park in Kenya, Africa, experiences a devastating drought. The rugged wilderness is home to millions of wild animals, including elephants, rhinos, hippos, lions, cheetahs, leopards, buffaloes, and countless rare and threatened bird and plant species.

In 2017, a local man named Patrick Kilonzo Mwalua noticed that the animals in Tsavo West were suffering greatly from the lack of fresh water. Patrick is a pea farmer in a nearby village, and when he saw the effects of climate change getting worse with each passing year, he decided to take matters into his own hands.



Every day, Patrick fills a tanker truck he uses on his farm with 3,000 gallons of fresh water and drives several hours out into the savannah. When the wild animals hear him coming, they start running toward the truck because they know he’s bringing them the life-sustaining water they’ve been craving.



In addition to his daily deliveries, Patrick has also organized efforts to create gravel-lined watering holes that will keep the precious liquid from seeping into the parched earth before the animals have a chance to drink it.

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Locals have started calling Patrick “The Water Man,” and his passion for wildlife conservation inspired a GoFundMe campaign that neared half a million dollars in donations.



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https://www.inspiremore.com/patrick-mwalua-tsavo-west-water/
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One person can make a difference. Heroes are everywhere.

[uppityperson]

1. K&R

[rickford66]

2. Drilling a few wells might help, but this guy is a hero.

[lamsmy]

5. No drilling allowed

It's a huge national park - one of the world's biggest. Even then Tsavo (West in particular) sits high on a solid layer of volcanic basalt rock. Even the nearest town, Voi, has to pipe water in from a spring in the park as drilling just isnt feasible.

It is also one of my favourite places here in Kenya - just stunning with Kilimanjaro as a backdrop.

[rickford66]

17. You filled me in on the situation. Thanks.

[2naSalit]

3. K&R

[NoMoreRepugs]

4. Patrick - UDAMAN.

[colorado_ufo]

6. Awesome!

[Liberty Belle]

7. Great idea. I wish someone would do that here, where animals have been dying

during Calfiornia's six-year drought. We now have rain. But a local golf course changed owners and the new owner drained two large ponds that had doubled as watering holes for animals from deer to mountain lions for many years. We had a lion near our house, searching for water in a nearly dry culvert. I worry about these animals when the next dry spell hits.

So much of our forests are gone, burned up in the fires, that the wildlife has really suffered. I sure wish someone would do this in San Diego's backcountry but also central and northern CA, where many animals perished in the wildfires.

[Bayard]

8. Literally saving lives

"When the wild animals hear him coming, they start running toward the truck because they know he’s bringing them the life-sustaining water they’ve been craving."

[Kali]

9. 3000 gallons a day is not going to do much

it is a nice dream but that will water about 150 to 200 head of horses or cattle max, less in hot weather. I am sure elephants need much more and my experience is the fuckers will drink twice as much if you are hauling water. would be better to move the animals and use piped/well water. having that little pond is liable to just attract even more animals to it. if you provide it they will come. and then they are dependent on you, what happens if he is sick or breaks down?

[Gothmog]

10. Thank you for posting this story

This man is a truly great man with a very big heart

[PatrickforO]

11. Patrick is great for doing this.

But I have to point out that drought is probably at least in part a symptom of global warming.

If we don't put some vigorous policies in place to mitigate global warming and wean us off fossil fuels, there won't be any water for Patrick to put in his tanker truck, and the species homo sapiens will have the blood of all those animals, who will surely die of thirst, on its collective hands.

We have to get in front of this climate change and do our best to mitigate it.

[forgotmylogin]

12. OMG I'm obsessed with the little baby elephant!

What a great mission this man has taken on!

[StarryNite]

13. Water was hauled in for the Heber Wild Horses

in Arizona this past summer due to a drought. In some areas the horses could not get to water due to welfare rancher cattle fences. The conditions were so poor that the Forest Service closed the forest for a few weeks. The water haulers were issued permits to take the water in. The horses were not the only ones to benefit. Elk, deer, bear, and other animals got the life giving water as well. The elk and deer could leap the fences to find water elsewhere. Game cameras were placed in some of the water tank locations. It was really neat to see the elk and wild horses drinking together. The anti wild horse people, aka ranchers, often say the horses will protect the water and not let elk or other animals drink...simply not the case.

[klook]

16. Very cool and interesting - thanks. (nt)

[pecosbob]

14. Good man

[fleabiscuit]

15. K&R

[panader0]

18. I'm touched by this story.......