Namibia dispatches over 500 troops to combat a significant wildfire ravaging 30% of Etosha National Park, a well-known national reserve in the northern region of the country. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s office revealed that the fire, which ignited last Monday, has inflicted an unknown toll on the park’s wildlife.
The expansive Etosha National Park shelters a diverse array of animals, including the critically endangered black rhinoceros. The inferno has encroached into nearby villages, although there have been no reported human casualties. The exact cause of the wildfire remains undetermined at this time.
Aerial footage captured by the national broadcaster NBC exhibits charred vegetation and fleeing antelopes amidst the blaze. To combat the fires, authorities have mobilized helicopters, water-filled trucks, and a reinforcement of 500 soldiers on Sunday, supplementing the initial 40 troops deployed on Saturday.
Approximately 30% of the park’s grazing lands spanning 22,200 square kilometers have been obliterated by the flames. Etosha National Park, renowned for its seasonal salt pan that transforms into a lake attracting diverse wildlife, has suffered extensive ecological harm, with nearly 7,700 square kilometers of vegetation consumed by the fire.
The Namibian Environment Ministry issued a statement suggesting that the fire may have been triggered by a charcoal production operation on a farm adjacent to the park. Namibia, characterized by its hot and arid climate, faced the devastating wildfire during the driest period of the year in Etosha.