Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 7 November 2019
Zimbabwe's severe drought killing elephants, other wildlife

By FARAI MUTSAKA to maintain population siz-
Associated Press es," Dzoro said.
MANA POOLS, Zimbabwe With the acacias, other in-
(AP) — Weak from hunger digenous trees and grasses
and thirst, the elephant that provide the bulk of
struggled to reach a pool food for herbivores like el-
of water in this African wild- ephants and buffaloes also
life reserve. But the majes- decimated by the drought,
tic mammal got stuck in authorities began supple-
the mud surrounding the mentary feeding in July.
sun-baked watering hole, Trucks and tractors ferry
which had dramatically hay to various locations in
shrunk due to a severe the 2,196- square-kilometer
drought. (848-square-mile) park. In
Eventually park staff freed some spots, elephants, buf-
the trapped elephant, but faloes and zebras are fed
it collapsed and died. Just next to each other. The
yards (meters) away lay the Feed Mana project has so
carcass of a Cape buffalo far trucked 14,000 bales to
that had also been pulled the park, said Hood, the
from the mud, but was at- animal welfare campaign-
tacked by hungry lions. er.
Elephants, zebras, hippos, The group has been ap-
impalas, buffaloes and In this Oct, 27, 2019, photo, the carcass of a buffalo lies on the edges of a sun baked pool that used pealing for "urgent" dona-
many other wildlife are to be a perennial water supply in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. tions of items such as soy
stressed by lack of food and Associated Press bean hay, grass and cubes
water in Zimbabwe's Mana The drought parching vember. The last substantial remaining water sources made of nutritious grains
Pools National Park, whose southern Africa is also af- rains came in April, he said. across the park's plains. and molasses.
very name comes from the fecting people. An estimat- An early end to a "very poor On a recent day, hippos "Although it may not be
four pools of water nor- ed 11 million people are rainy season" has resulted were submerged in some enough to stave off all
mally filled by the flooding threatened with hunger in in insufficient natural veg- puddles to try to keep their the hunger pangs, it is cer-
Zambezi River each rainy nine countries in the region, etation to see the animals skin from drying out in the tainly giving these animals
season, and where wildlife according to the World through, said Mel Hood, extreme heat while birds a chance to survive until
traditionally drink. The word Food Program, which is who is participating in the picked at catfish stranded conditions improve," Hood
"mana" means four in the planning large-scale food Feed Mana project, which in the mud. said.
Shona language. distribution. The countries is providing supplementary Two others of Mana's pools Zimbabwe has an estimat-
At least 105 elephants of southern Africa have ex- feeding. have completely dried up, ed 85,000 elephants and
have died in Zimbabwe's perienced normal rainfall Most of the animals in while the third is just 20% neighboring Botswana has
wildlife reserves, most of in only one of the past five Mana Pools "are more or to 30% of its usual size and more than 130,000. The two
them in Mana and the larg- growing seasons, it said. less confined to the bar- dwindling, Dzoro said. countries have the larg-
er Hwange National Park in Seasonal rains are expect- ren flood plains," where There are more than 12,000 est elephant population in
the past two months, ac- ed soon, but parks officials temperatures soar to 113 elephants roaming Mana's the world. Zimbabwe says
cording to the Zimbabwe and wildlife lovers, fear- degrees Fahrenheit (45 de- flood plains as well as an it's struggling to cope with
National Parks and Wildlife ing that too many animals grees Celsius), she said. abundance of lions, buf- booming numbers of wild
Management Authority. will die before then, are Separated from neighbor- faloes, zebras, wild dogs, elephants and is pushing to
Many desperate animals bringing in food to help ing Zambia by the Zam- hyenas, zebras and elands. be allowed to sell its ivory
are straying from Zimba- the distressed animals. The bezi, the region's once reli- The animals are visibly af- stockpile and export live
bwe's parks into nearby extremely harsh conditions able sources of water have fected by the drought. elephants to raise money
communities in search of persuaded park authorities turned into death traps Some impalas show signs of for conservation and ease
food and water. to abandon their usual pol- for animals desperate to skin mange. In addition to congestion in the drought-
Mana Pools, a UNESCO icy of not intervening. reach the muddy ponds. the land animals, the park affected parks.
World Heritage Site for its Each morning, Munyaradzi Like the elephant and buf- has 350 bird and aquatic Other African countries,
splendid setting along the Dzoro, a parks agency wild- falo, many other animals in species, according to the especially Kenya, are op-
Zambezi River, annually ex- life officer, prays for rain. the park have gotten stuck parks agency. posed to any sale of ivory.
periences hot, dry weather "It's beginning to be seri- in the clay while trying to In other parts of Mana, And earlier this year the
at this time of year. But this ous," he said, standing reach Long Pool, the larg- park authorities are pump- meeting of the Convention
year it's far worse as a re- next to the remains of the est of the watering holes at ing water from deep bore- on International Trade in
sult of poor rains last year. elephant and buffalo. "It 3 miles (5 kilometers) long. holes, but the supplies are Endangered Species voted
Even the river's flow has re- might be worse if we fail to The animals were pulled barely enough, he said. to continue the ban on all
duced. receive rains" by early No- out by rangers, but they "We used to say nature ivory sales.
could not survive predators should take its course," Dzo- At Mana Pools, saving the
on the pounce for weak ro said of the park's normal animals is a challenge and
prey. policy of not intervening officials say Zimbabwe is se-
"The carnivores attacked it and allowing the ecosys- verely affected by climate
from behind," Dzoro said of tem to find its own balance. change that has changed
the buffalo. The elephant "We are now forced to in- weather patterns.
carcass had been there for tervene, which is manipula- In past years, Mana Pools
almost a week and emit- tive conservation, because would get up to 24 inches
ted a strong stench as flies we are not sure when and (600 millimeters) of rain per
feasted on it. how we will receive the year, said Dzoro, the wild-
At just 5% of its normal size, rain. To avoid losing ani- life officer. Now it's lucky to
Long Pool is one of the few mals we have to intervene get half that.q