Namibia has dispatched over 500 soldiers to assist in containing a massive wildfire that has ravaged approximately 30% of the famous Etosha National Park. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s office revealed on Sunday that an undisclosed number of wildlife perished in the blaze, which ignited last Monday, spreading throughout the expansive park located in northern Namibia.
The park harbors a diverse array of wildlife, including the critically endangered black rhinos. The fire has encroached into villages surrounding the park, although there have been no reports of human casualties. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
Video footage from the national broadcaster NBC depicted charred vegetation, trees, and fleeing antelope. To combat the inferno, authorities have dispatched helicopters, water tank-equipped trucks, and deployed 500 soldiers on Sunday to augment the initial 40 troops sent on Saturday, as per the president’s office.
Approximately 30% of the park’s grazing lands spanning 22,200 square kilometers have been decimated. Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s largest reserves, is distinguished by its salt pan, transforming into a lake during the rainy season, attracting a plethora of wildlife.
Namibia’s Environment Ministry issued a separate statement highlighting the extensive ecological harm inflicted on the park, with nearly 7,700 square kilometers of vegetation consumed by the fire. The ministry suspects that the fire may have originated from a charcoal production enterprise adjacent to the park.
Situated in a hot, arid region of southern Africa, Namibia faced the wildfire during the driest period of the year in Etosha.