In Botswana, once-majestic wild animals are withering away and dropping dead on parched landscapes – tragic victims of the country’s worst drought in decades. This year, the nation experienced its wet season in 40 years, with less than 20% of its expected rainfall. Deadly conditions were made worse by extreme heat exceeding 99℉ (37℃).

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The consequences have been devastating for wild animals.

In one of the most heart-rending scenes, an orphaned elephant calf was found next to her dead mother, who had been powerless against the raging drought and succumbed to dehydration.

The mother had given her baby every last drop of sustenance her body could muster before she collapsed and died. Her calf, helpless and alone, remained by her mother’s side. She was later rescued and taken into the care of an elephant orphanage – but she will never know her mother, who she would have stayed with for her entire life.

Drought is reducing Africa’s iconic wildlife to skin, bone, and dust in Botswana – elephants, zebra, lions, hippos, hyenas, and wildebeest are clinging to life as you read this.

Credit: Camelthorn Farmstead

With your support, we can help save as many of these beautiful animals as possible.

The Boteti River runs through the Makgadikgadi National Park in north-eastern Botswana and is one of the animals’ main water sources.

Since October 2022, it has been almost completely dry. A smattering of rain in April this year has barely helped, providing a thin trickle of water that will definitely run dry before the next rainy season, which only starts in December. This devastating drought has been exacerbated by a combination of climate change and the impact of the El Niño climate pattern.

Wild animals are battling with relentless heat, struggling to find precious water and food.

Strong, young wild animals in Botswana who should be in the prime of their lives are dropping dead after traveling countless miles in search of water they never find.

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Starved, parched, and bone-weary, they fall where they stand, their carcasses littering the barren landscape. Others become stuck in near-dry muddy waterholes, exhausting themselves in futile attempts to escape the mud and ultimately perishing.

Under these disastrous conditions, not even the strong survive.

Can you imagine, just how dire the situation is for older, weaker and juvenile animals?

Amidst this disaster, two wildlife warriors are coming to the aid of desperate wild animals – and they urgently need support for their life-saving mission.

This kind-hearted couple owns a private farmstead along a boundary fence of the Makgadikgadi National Park, where desperate animals scour the barren landscape for anything to drink. Using the park’s two wellpoints, their own borehole, and long pipes that extend through the park’s fence, they pump water daily into the park’s dry riverbed for elephants, zebras, and other animals.

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The animals are so frantic for water that they have come to recognize the sound of the pumps being switched on, clamoring around the pump as they await their turn to drink. This is both heart-warming and heart-breaking to witness.

HUNDREDS of wild animals need water right now, and our partner CANNOT meet the demand for this life-saving resource.

With two extra water pumps, we can help bring much-needed relief to dehydrated wild animals in crisis. Please support this cause now.

Each of the two existing wellpoints currently has the capacity to pump around 7,925 gallons (30,000 liters) of water a day. While this may sound like a lot, elephants alone can drink over 52 gallons (200 liters) every day. In a park covering around 4,630 square miles (12,000km²), home to large herds of elephants, zebras, oryx, wildebeests, impalas, and so much more, the need far exceeds what our partner is able to supply.

Credit: Calmelthorn Farmstead

By installing new, highly-efficient solar-powered pumps, the output of the existing wellpoints will be DOUBLED, collectively producing around 31,700 gallons (120,000 liters) daily – enough to quench the thirst of the area’s 150 elephants, as well as hundreds of other animals like zebras, giraffes, leopards and hippos.

We MUST raise the funds to supply our partner with two solar-powered water pumps RIGHT AWAY. Wild animals are DEPENDING on it – can they count on your generosity today?

Countless animals are depending on us to give life-saving water pumps.

Credit: Camelthorn Farmstead

The animals are desperate. One of the most tragic cases our partner recently witnessed was a mother zebra who succumbed to thirst and starvation while in labor. Our partner did their utmost to help, but it was too late – both mother and foal died. We MUST prevent more wildlife tragedies like this, but we can’t do it without your support today.

Please help us raise $6,000 (roughly £4,800) to install these life-saving water pumps immediately. There is no time to waste!

The situation is catastrophic, but with your donation today, we WILL rush support to the dangerously dehydrated animals of Botswana – animals who are counting on YOU for a miracle. Please donate as much as you possibly can right away.