Residents of Ijara have expressed concern over what they disclosed is a looming human-wildlife conflict over water and pasture, with the beasts freely roaming in homesteads even as the drought situation gets worse.
The locals now say their lives are endangered as dangerous animals compete with them at the few remaining water points.
This comes at a time when the meteorological department announced that most parts of the North Eastern will experience a longer dry spell until later in the year when short rains may begin.
It also issued a word of caution that with bleak food and water situations in the arid and semi-arid regions, a crisis would emerge.
Residents who spoke to this writer revealed that herbs and water in the range lands had dried up, a fact that is a possible trigger for the currently witnessed human-wildlife conflict.
"Foliage cover and water have drastically declined in the range lands and the scenario is to blame for the ecological balance," they said.