Namibia has deployed over 500 troops to assist in containing a massive wildfire that has ravaged approximately 30% of the renowned Etosha National Park in the country’s north. The blaze, which ignited last Monday, has resulted in an undisclosed number of wildlife casualties, according to a statement from President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s office on Sunday.
The park, known for its diverse range of wildlife, including the critically endangered black rhinos, has also seen the fire encroach upon nearby villages. Fortunately, there have been no reports of human fatalities linked to the fire, the cause of which remains unknown.
Videos broadcast by the national broadcaster NBC depict charred vegetation and fleeing antelope amidst the scorched landscape. In response, authorities have dispatched helicopters, trucks equipped with water tanks, and a total of 540 soldiers to aid in firefighting efforts. The operation aims to contain the destruction that has consumed about 30% of the park’s 22,200-square-kilometer expanse.
Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s largest, features a salt pan that transforms into a lake during the rainy season, attracting a plethora of wildlife. The Namibian Environment Ministry has reported significant ecological harm, estimating that the inferno has devastated nearly 7,700 square kilometers of vegetation. The ministry suspects the possibility of the fire originating from a charcoal production facility located on a farm bordering the park.
Located in a hot and arid region of southern Africa, Namibia faced this calamity during the driest period of the year in Etosha, exacerbating the fire’s impact on the region’s ecosystem.
