The Kenya Wildlife Service launched a major rescue and relocation operation in July 2026, capturing and transporting 56 hippopotamuses from the Mukindu public dam in Nyandarua County after prolonged drought linked to climate change caused Lake Ol Bolossat — the only natural lake in Kenya’s Central region — to diminish severely, pushing the displaced animals into direct and dangerous conflict with farming communities.
A Lake in Crisis
Lake Ol Bolossat sits in the heart of Nyandarua County at an altitude of approximately 2,500 metres above sea level. From 2023 onward, a combination of reduced rainfall, increased surface evaporation, and catchment degradation caused the lake’s water levels to drop substantially, depriving hippos of their natural aquatic habitat.
Hippos at the Dam
The animals’ destination was Mukindu Dam in the Rurii Location. A herd of 56 hippos settled into the dam’s environs, developing a predictable nocturnal pattern of leaving the water to graze on surrounding farmland, destroying crops that families depended on for food and income.
Climate Change and the Conservation Warning
KWS was explicit about the underlying driver of the crisis: “This situation highlights the growing impact of climate change on wildlife habitats and underscores the need for proactive conservation action.” The displacement of the Ol Bolossat hippos is part of a pattern that wildlife managers across Kenya and East Africa are confronting with increasing frequency.
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