A dead elephant lays in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. FILE PHOTO CREDIT:AP
An international animal welfare and conservation group claimed Monday that El Nino-induced drought has killed at least 100 elephants in Zimbabwe’s largest game reserve, Hwange National Park.
Summer rains are five weeks late due to the ongoing El Nino phenomenon, as dozens of elephants have already died in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest protected area, home to about 45,000 elephants, said the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in a statement.
“At least 100 elephants are already reported dead due to lack of water,” it said.
The organization said the 104 solar-powered boreholes in the park were inadequate to match extreme temperatures that are drying up existing waterholes, forcing wildlife to walk long distances in search of food and water.
Water-dependent mammals like elephants are among the most affected and these and other wildlife species will face a crisis if rains do not come soon, IFAW said.
In September, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority reported “many animals” moving from the national park to neighbouring Botswana in search of water and food.
The “anticipated” animal deaths “must be seen as a symptom of deep-seated and complex challenges affecting the region’s natural resources conservation, aggravated by climate change,” IFAW expert Phillip Kuvawoga said.
Zimbabwe has around 100,000 elephants, the second largest population in the world and almost double the capacity of its parks, conservationists say.
In 2019, over 200 elephants died in Zimbabwe from severe drought, and according to IFAW, the phenomenon is recurring.
IFAW said the deaths of elephants in Zimbabwe must be seen as a symptom of deep-seated and complex challenges affecting the region’s natural resources conservation, aggravated by climate change.
