Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Drought partly to blame for animal escape from Etosha

Home National Drought partly to blame for animal escape from Etosha

ONGWEDIVA – The Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) said the drought situation in the Etosha National Park is partly to blame for the escape of several wild animals reported in recent weeks.

The ministry said, like the rest of the country, the park has also received minimal rains – affecting both water and vegetation availability for the wild animals.

“We are also busy repairing the fence to avoid further breakouts, particularly now that this is a drought year, and very little rainfall was received in the park affecting water and grazing vegetation,” said MET Chief Public Relations Officer, Romeo Muyunda. In addition to the lack of rains at the park, a veld fire that broke out at Uuvudhiya grazing area towards the end of last year was also reported to have reached some parts of the park.

However, Muyunda said a veld fire in one area of the park alone could not entirely hamper the animals’ vegetation as the park is big.

Muyunda said the biggest contributor for the escape of the animals from the park is the damaged fence. “The northern side of the park was recently damaged by elephants and provides a pathway for animals to escape,” Muyunda said.
But Muyunda assured that the ministry is working on mending the fence.

Muyunda, in an interview with New Era last week, said the ministry has scaled down on the specifications to make the fence cheaper and is optimistic that there would be great progress within the current financial year.
Last week, reports of the escape of rhinos attracted attention on social media.

The two rhinos that were spotted in the Uukwiyu and Omuntele areas have both been recaptured and returned to the park. A week earlier, a zebra was spotted in Okalongo in Omusati Region.
He said other animals suspected to have escaped from the Sheya Shuushona and Iipumbu ya Tshilongo conservancies are being monitored by the MET officials until they have also been safely returned to the park.