A farmer from Africa spends his spare time delivering thousands of litres of water to thirsty animals struck by drought.

Patrick Killonzo Mwalua, a pea farmer, helps keep animals alive at the Tsavo West National Park in Kenya, which has been hit by severe droughts for the past few years.

The farmer brings water to the Tsavo West National Park in Kenya. Credit: Patrick Killonzo Mwalua

Using a special water truck, Patrick started off bringing in 3,000 gallons of water four times a week to ensure the animals have enough to drink, but in recent times he and his friend Nina Poletti, from Canada, are having to bring even more water to the parched animals - sometimes having to make daily visits.

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Since his story first hit headlines back in 2017, Patrick has set up his own foundation, so he can help out even more animals. What a lovely fella, eh?

Speaking to the Dodo in 2017, he said: "There is completely no water, so the animals are depending on humans. If we don't help them, they will die."

He said he first got the idea after visiting park during the summer months and seeing how dry it had got, with watering holes completely dried out and nothing for the local wildlife to drink.

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"We aren't really receiving rain the way we used to," he explained. "From last year, from June, there was no rain completely. So, I started giving animals water because I thought, 'If I don't do that, they will die.'"

As well as doing his water runs, Patrick also visits local schools to talk about conservation and how they can help the country's wildlife.

He added: "I was born around here and grew up with wildlife and got a lot of passion about wildlife. I decided to bring awareness to this so when they grow up they can protect their wildlife."

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The animals have become used to Patrick's visits and he says they now anticipate his arrival - on one occasion he arrived at a watering hole to find 500 buffalo waiting for him, desperate to get a drink.

Sharing his incredible work on social media, Patrick is hailed a hero for his efforts and is, quite rightly, praised for all his hard work.

See, the world isn't all bad after all, is it?

