Patrick Kilonzo Mwalau, a Kenyan man has been delivering water to animals in the dry regions of Tsavo, Kenya. Also known as the "Elephant Guardian", Mwalau has also created a fundraising page to support his efforts.
According to People, Mwalau has stated in his "GoFundMe" page that water has become very precious and it is going to stay like that until November when there is some expectation of rain. Mwalau is worried about the situation as some years back also, a similar type of prolonged drought took away the lives of a number of elephants. Elephants are already becoming endangered due to poaching and to save the ones that are left, the provision of water is very important until the drought is over, he says.
Mwalau and his team, the Tsavo volunteers, deliver 12,000 liters of water in rented water trucks at least four times a week, at a cost of $250 for each tank. They drive almost 27 miles to deliver the water to the animals at two different locations. The animals often wait for him to arrive with the delivery. The wild animals don't harm their trucks and have developed a sense of understanding that Mwalau and his team are helping them.
According to The Dodo, Mwalau fills up the dry water holes as much as possible. He drives for hours every day to haul water to where it is most needed. At times, the impatient animals start crowding the truck fearlessly as they smell the water.
Mwalau, who is a pea farmer in a local village, was hit with the idea as he saw the climate change taking a toll on his homeland. He says that the area has not been receiving rain as it used to since last year June. His passion for the local wildlife and the animals living in them drives him to take up the role of the "water man", he says.
Mwalau's noble initiative has been supported by three women from the United States. Angie Brown, Tami Calliope and Cher Callaway have put in their efforts to make the initiative a success and create awareness about it via social media and fundraising programs. They also look forward to buying him his own truck very soon.
