More Than 80 Buffaloes Drown in Namibia After Being Chased by Lions

Over 80 Buffaloes Drown in Namibia After Lion Chase

Tragedy struck in Namibia as more than 80 buffaloes died after trampling each other and drowning in the Chobe River. According to the Namibian environment and tourism department, the buffaloes were fleeing lions from neighboring Botswana.

The Incident at the Chobe River

The buffaloes, panicked by the pursuing lions, reportedly "fell from a deep cliff" into the Chobe River on the Namibian side of the border. This incident highlights the dangers wild animals face when natural predators encroach on their habitats. Similar mass drownings of buffaloes have occurred in the past. The article references NBC and BBC as sources for the news.

Past Tragedies and the Chobe National Park

This isn't the first incident of its kind. One of the worst cases occurred in 2018 when approximately 400 buffaloes died after running into the river, which flows through Botswana's Chobe National Park. Chobe National Park is a popular tourist destination known for its abundant wildlife, including elephants, buffaloes, and giraffes.

Local Perspectives and Resource Allocation

Mbeha Tadeus, from Namibia's Kabulabula Conservancy, explained that buffaloes often attempt to cross into Namibia when chased by lions from Chobe National Park, leading to trampling. Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, a spokesperson for the Namibian Environment, Forestry and Tourism Ministry, confirmed that the animals originated from Botswana. The meat from the deceased buffaloes will be distributed to local communities in the area, according to Ms. Hamunyela.

Community Response

A video shared by the Namibian public broadcaster, NBC, showed residents near the riverbanks dividing the buffalo meat among themselves. NBC reported that the incident occurred around 05:00 local time (07:00 GMT) and placed the number of buffaloes killed at 90.