Abstract
From 1980–1985, the Turkana District of Kenya experienced both drought and above average rainfall. The effects of a 2-year drought on the livestock population of the nomadic pastoral Ngisonyoka are discussed. Detailed data on mortality rates and offtake are presented for the animals of four herd owners, and the recovery process is followed for the 5-year period for one herd owner. It is concluded that during the drought, 63% of the cattle, 45% of the camels, and 55% of the small stock left the sample herds. The livestock population of one herd had recovered to pre-drought levels 3 years after the drought.
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McCabe, J.T. Drought and recovery: Livestock dynamics among the Ngisonyoka Turkana of Kenya. Hum Ecol 15, 371–389 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00887997
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00887997