As prolonged drought plagues the Horn of Africa, some people perceive animals as a threat to scarce resources, while other communities rally to protect the creatures.
Wajir County, KenyaThe men sitting inside the open-backed safari truck were silent and tense as they pulled up alongside their target. A young male giraffe stood under the shade of a tall tree, seeking relief from the unusually brutal March sun. As he heard the tires roll over dry thorn bushes, he craned his long neck and perked up his ears.
The man in the passenger seat aimed his gun and pulled the trigger, hitting the giraffe squarely in the flank. The group let out a hushed cheer as the animal flinched.
A man in the backseat set the timer on his watch. “Seven minutes until he falls,” he whispered.
The giraffe wobbled drunkenly and then took off, loping into an open clearing. A six-foot