APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) At least 100 elephants have died in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park as an extended dry season has worsened the shortage of water in the country’s largest national park, according to a wildlife charity on Tuesday.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said elephants and other wildlife are dying in the national park as an extended dry season has reduced once abundant water holes to muddy puddles.
“At least 100 elephants are already reported dead due to lack of water,” IFAW said.
Zimbabwe’s summer rains, which were expected to begin in October, only began this week due to the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, which is associated with low rainfall in southern Africa.
Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest protected area and home to about 45,000 elephants, as well as more than 100 other types of mammals and 400 bird species.
It has 104 solar-powered boreholes to maintain sources of water for the animals.
However, park authorities say there are not enough as they are no match for extreme temperatures, which are drying up existing waterholes and forcing wildlife to walk long distances searching for food and water.
“The most affected elephants are the young, elderly and sick that can’t travel long distances to find water,” Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said.
He noted that an average-sized elephant needs a daily water intake of about 200 litres.
JN/APA