According to estimates by local government officers over 100,000 cattle out of a total of about 380,00 had died by the end of November 2009 in the Ngorongoro region as a result of the prolonged drought. The heavy rains that started just before Christmas and which left many homeless in other parts of the country at the beginning of January are now killing off cattle too weak and malnourished to survive the downpours.

About 30,000 cattle were also sold off at very low prices in order to dispose of them before they died. The government