Drought Claims 55 Elephants in Zimbabwe

It is thought that at least 55 elephants have died in the last in the last two months in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park as the country grapples with a deadly drought.

A number of the elephants were found just metres from watering holes, with experts suggesting they had travelled for miles to find the next water source, only to collapse before they reached it.

Tinashe Farawo, a spokesman for Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, or Zimparks, called the situation “dire”, explaining that the “elephants are dying from starvation and this is a big problem”.

Zimbabwe has been hit by a severe drought which has seen crop numbers fall to desperate levels.

It is thought that around a third of the country needs urgent food relief, with the World Food Programme issuing a report detailing how 2 million people were at risk of starving in August.

Farawo further said one of the factors that has led to the high number of elephant deaths is overcrowding.

Hwange National Park has room to house around 15,000 elephants, but it is thought it is currently home to over 50,000.

This has led a number of them to stray outside the park’s boundaries and into local communities, often coming into contact with local villagers.

Officials from the park say 22 villagers have already been killed this year.

However, what underpins this all is the economic plight that Zimbabwe currently finds itself in, meaning the state has no funds to help put towards wildlife management.