Some rivers are still flowing but many dams have dried up and wildlife officials anticipate animal and bird mortality in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, a major tourist attraction.

The drought is affecting hippos who spend most of their lives in water, along with grazers such as buffaloes and animals that need grass, SABC reported.

This year’s bird census in Kruger Park holds a special significance, News24 reported.

About 600 birders will spend a month assessing the impact of the drought on bird populations there through Feb. 21, recording as many different species as they can.

“Rare birds might be seen, birds usually seen in other climatic regions or biomes might have moved into the area and other species which are usually common might have moved elsewhere,” said Birdlife South Africa conservation manager Hanneline Robinson-Smit.

Lions and other predators could be the biggest beneficiaries of the drought, as weakened prey makes for fast food.

Extreme dry weather is a natural way of regulating wildlife populations, Kruger Park officials said, according to the AssociatedPress.

If enough rain does not fall soon in South Africa’s northeast, wildlife will be at risk, said Kruger Park spokesperson, William Mabasa.

Park managers are giving animals water in some parts of the park, but there are no plans for any major intervention to try to save animals from the drought, according to ABCNews.

In some communities around Kruger Park like Setlagole Village, residents have to dig for water in local river beds as water shortages cripple the area. The water is unsafe but water tanks are running dry, SABC reported. Villagers say they drink from the dirty source together with their livestock.

The fact that dams are dry is causing a lot of discomfort, Mabasa said. Animals have to travel long distances for water. “If we do not get rain in the next month or two we may begin to have mortalities,” he said.

Hippos are spending more time grazing during the day instead of being submerged in rivers and pools — a sign that the drought is intensifying, according to AP.

Heavy losses of water-loving buffaloes are expected if the rains don’t come soon, Kruger Park authorities said. Rainfall levels in Kruger Park are down 50-to-60 percent compared to the average for this time of year.

“You’ve got winners and you’ve got losers. This is nature’s regulatory thing,” said Izak Smit, an ecologist for the national parks service, AP reported.

Hippos are especially vulnerable because they’re very territorial and always return to the same spot, Smit said. They tend to graze at night and stay in the water by day, but have been seen grazing more often during the day in Kruger Park as grass dries up, according to Smit.

Kruger Park’s buffalo population was reduced by more than 50 percent in an early 1990s drought to about 14,000. The buffalo population recovered to more than 40,000.

The animals that survive the dry periods help strengthen the genetic pool, Smit said.

Citizen science plays a vital role in Kruger Park’s conservation, Robinson-Smit said.