Namibia has deployed over 500 troops to combat a massive wildfire that has ravaged about 30% of the renowned Etosha National Park in the northern part of the country. The blaze, which ignited last Monday, has resulted in an unknown number of wildlife casualties, according to a statement from President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s office on Sunday.
The national park, known for its diverse wildlife population including endangered black rhinos, has also seen the fire encroach upon nearby villages with no reported human fatalities. The cause of the wildfire remains under investigation.
Video footage from the national broadcaster NBC displays charred vegetation, scorched trees, and fleeing antelope. In response to the crisis, authorities have dispatched helicopters, water tank-equipped trucks, and a team of 500 soldiers on Sunday to reinforce the initial 40 soldiers already on-site since Saturday.
Approximately 30% of the park’s grazing lands spanning 22,200 square kilometers have been consumed by the fire, as confirmed by the president’s office. Etosha National Park, among Africa’s largest reserves, features a distinctive salt pan that transforms into a lake during the wet season, attracting a plethora of wildlife.
Namibia’s Environment Ministry has released a separate statement highlighting the extensive ecological devastation, with nearly 7,700 square kilometers of vegetation destroyed by the fire. The ministry suspects that the blaze may have originated from a charcoal production operation near the park’s boundaries.
Situated in the arid climate of southern Africa, Namibia faces the wildfire during the driest period of the year in Etosha, exacerbating the challenges of containment and extinguishment.