This photo was taken from on top of Observation hill in Amboseli National Park. The park has not received more than a few drops of rain in over two years!  I lost count of the number of dead zebra and wildebeest and even other more drought resistant species like elephant and giraffe are severely affected. also cattle we saw on our game drives. So why is there this oasis of water and green vegetation?  It is the result of the melting glaciers and snow on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro running down the sides of the mountains. The water from Mt. Kilimanjaro travels several hundred kilometers to the Indian ocean and is often the only source of water for humans and wildlife along the way.  Elephants and buffalo are routinely found almost completely submerged in the marshes eating, cooling off and getting a drink while other species come to the edges to drink. By continually walking on the bottom of the marsh the elephants pack down the mud and ensure that the watering holes don’t get filled in and dry up.  However, the glaciers and snow on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro are disappearing at an alarming rate which is believed to be due to global warming and the removal of large portions of the forests that grow on the sides of the mountain. It is estimated that within the next 20 years all of the frozen water on top of the mountain will have melted with devastating effects felt by the people and animals that rely on it to survive.