More than 50 elephants die of starvation in Zimbabwe

▶ Food shortages are being caused by a drought linked to El Nino

At least 55 elephants died in a month because of a lack of food and water, Zimbabwe’s wildlife agency said on Monday, as the country endures one of the worst droughts in its history.

More than five million rural Zimbabweans – about a third of the population – are at risk of food shortages before next year’s harvest, the United Nations said.

These shortages are being caused by the combined effects of an economic downturn and a drought blamed on El Nino weather cycle.

The effect is being felt at Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest game reserve.

“Since September, we have lost at least 55 elephants in Hwange National Park,” Zimbabwe National Parks spokesman Tinashe Farawo told AFP.

Mr Farawo said the park was overpopulated and that food and water was scarce because of the drought.

Africa’s elephant numbers dropped from about 415,000 to 111,000 over the past decade, mainly because of poaching for ivory, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

But Zimbabwe – like other countries in the southern African region – struggles with elephant overpopulation in certain areas.

“Hwange was meant for 15,000 elephants but at the moment we are talking about more than 50,000,” Mr Farawo said.

“The situation is dire. We are desperately waiting for the rains.”

An adult elephant drinks 680 litres of water a day on average and consumes 450 kilograms of food. Hungry elephants often break out of Zimbabwe’s game reserves and raid human settlements in search of food, posing a threat to surrounding communities.

Mr Farawo said 200 people had died in “human-and-animal conflict” in the past five years, and “at least 7,000 hectares of crops had been destroyed by elephants”.

The authorities took action this year by selling about 100 elephants to Dubai and China for $2.7 million (Dh9.9m). Mr Farawo said the money had been allocated to conservation and anti-poaching projects.

Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe have called for a global ban on elephant ivory trade to be relaxed to cull numbers and ease pressure on their territories.

Despite a drop in Africa’s elephant numbers in the past decade, Zimbabwe struggles with elephant overpopulation