About 100 elephants dead in Zimbabwe over El Niño, water shortage

29 / 12 / 2023

By Marwa Nassar - -

At least 100 elephants have already reported dead in Zimbabwe’s largest protected Hwange National Park, home to about 45,000 elephants, due to lack of water and the ongoing El Niño phenomenon which caused the delay of summer rains.

Elephants and other wildlife are dying in Zimbabwe, as an extended dry season has reduced once abundant water holes, to muddy puddles.

“Elephants and other wildlife species will face a crisis if the rains don’t come soon,” said Phillip Kuvawoga, Landscape Program Director of IFAW.

“In 2019, over 200 elephants died in Zimbabwe due to severe drought; this phenomenon is recurring.”

Despite having 104 solar-powered boreholes, park authorities said it isn’t enough and no match for extreme temperatures drying up existing waterholes, forcing wildlife to walk long distances searching for food and water. Water-dependent mammals like elephants are among the most affected.

“Wild animals protect the carbon already stored in nature, prevent it from being released into the atmosphere, and help nature soak up and store even more carbon,” said Kuvawoga.

The devastating impact of climate change on wildlife and humans calls for an integrated and holistic approach to support climate-resilient landscapes and communities.

“The anticipated deaths of elephants and other species, such as we are seeing in Zimbabwe right now, must be seen as a symptom of deep-seated and complex challenges affecting the region’s natural resources conservation, aggravated by climate change.”