Harare, December 12 (IANS). At least 100 elephants have died in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest game reserve, due to drought caused by El Nino, the international animal welfare and conservation group said.
“El Nino is causing summer rains to be delayed by five weeks as dozens of elephants have already died in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest protected area,” the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said in a statement. Which is home to about 45,000 elephants.
“At least 100 elephants are reported to have died due to lack of water,” Xinhua news agency quoted IFAW as saying.
The organization said the 104 solar-powered boreholes in the park are inadequate to cope with the high temperatures, causing existing waterholes to dry up. Wildlife is being forced to walk long distances in search of food and water.
IFAW said water-dependent mammals such as elephants are the most affected and they and other wildlife species will face crisis if rains do not fall soon.
According to IFAW, more than 200 elephants died due to drought in Zimbabwe in 2019. This incident is happening again and again.
IFAW said the death of elephants in Zimbabwe should be seen as a symptom of the deeper and complex challenges facing the conservation of the region's natural resources due to climate change.
–IANS
FZ/ABM
