NAIVASHA, Kenya, March 23 (Reuters) – Game wardens fear wildlife is trapped in the crater of an extinct Kenyan volcano that was engulfed by a bush fire for a third day on Monday. The blaze at on Mount Longonot — one of the best-known trekking spots in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley — has sent thousands of animals scampering to safety in nearby villages. 
"The fire is still burning inside the crater and we fear that some animals like baboons and rabbits have been burnt as they have no escape route,"park warden Peter Muthusi said. Several blazes have been fed by weeks of hot, dry conditions in the east African country. Zebras, buffaloes, antelopes, gazelles and giraffes all fled the national park that surrounds Longonot, crossing a busy road to reach safety. … Kenya is suffering a drought that has parched the landscape, left farmers facing ruin and contributed to hunger that the government says is afflicting some 10 million people. Muthusi said strong winds and the very dry vegetation were making it harder to fight the fire. "It’s very smoky inside the crater," he said. "We are determined to put out the fire inside the crater using all possible means so as to save the animals inside." (Reporting by Antony Gitonga; Writing by Helen Nyambura-Mwaura)
Wildlife trapped by Kenyan bush fire
Hundreds of thousands of flamingos and other wildlife are at risk after five forest fires erupted in Kenya, officials say. Police say they suspect some of the still-raging blazes were started by communities to make space for farmland. The fires have had an adverse effect on the Masai Mara and in Tanzania on the Serengeti national park, officials say. Other wildlife reserves are under threat, including Lake Nakuru, which is home to almost a million flamingos. According to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), all the rivers that drain from south-western Kenya’s Mau forest into the lake have dried drastically. Nearly 60 species of wildlife, including white rhino, depend on the lake. … KWS communications manager Paul Udoto told the BBC: "We now have to pump water from underground bore holes to shallow pans to water the animals in the park otherwise they will all die. This is costing us a lot of money." … Kenya is suffering a drought this year that has contributed to hunger the government says is affecting 10 million people.
Wildlife flee Kenyan forest fires
