Unprecedented catastrophe in Namibia: the fire devastated the Etosha Park, the last refuge of black rhinos

The esteemed loss of about 30 % of the segrolled areas is a critical factor: the surviving herbivores now risk being without enough food and will be forced to move en masse, aggravating ecological tensions.

The mobilization of the state

The government of Namibia has declared the state of emergency and mobilized over 500 soldiers, flanked by helicopters, tanker trucks, local volunteers and air vehicles to counter the flames and control the residual outbreaks.

According to the prime minister, the fire is now “content“, Although some local sources and voluntary groups argue that different outbreaks are still active in remote areas or on the edge of the park:

According to the first official reconstructions, the fire may have originated from activities related to the production of coal in areas neighboring the park. However, this hypothesis is not yet confirmed, and the investigations are still open, but in any case sources note that the area around Etosha has long sees activities related to coal and wood collection, factors that can become extreme risks in drought conditions.

Because it is so serious: fauna and species at risk

Etosha is one of the symbolic parks of southern Africa: it extends over 22,200 square km and houses about 114 species of mammals, as well as hundreds of bird species, reptiles and amphibians. Among the natural attractions there is the large central saline, which recalls thousands of flamingos during the rainy season.

One of the most affected species could be the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), classified as “in critical endangered danger“. Etosha hosts one of the most significant and genetically relevant populations of the species.

But the challenge for rhinos is not new: the poaching has been one of the main threats for years. In 2022, in Namibia there were 87 rhinos killed (61 black and 26 whites), almost double figure compared to the previous year (45). Of those 87, 46 were killed right in the Etosha Park.

In the first quarter of 2024, 28 rhinos were reported killed only in the park area, against 7 of the previous year in the same period, reporting a growing pressure of poachers.

In addition, the report Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement 2023 Della Namibia documents how, despite a slight drop in poaching mortality in 2023, monitoring and surveillance activities were already operating in extreme conditions.

Side threats: habitat, local communities, tourism

The fire destroys fundamental habitats – trees, bushes, fodder – compromising food chains and the availability of shelters for vulnerable species. The surveillance, monitoring and anti-branconing activities are also put to the test by the loss of infrastructure and the dispersion of resources.

The communities that live around the park, which depend in part on tourism and breeding, are exposed to direct and indirect economic damage. The relapses are also felt in health, due to the dispersion of smoking and the increase in the risk of secondary fires.

This fire is not just an environmental disaster: it is a crisis that comes to cross with fragility already existing in African conservation systems.

Sources: Al Jazeera / Government Namibia / Conservation Namibia