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16m ago

Namibia Deploys 500 Soldiers as Wildfire Burns a Third of Etosha

Officials cite a likely charcoal-production ignition outside the reserve.

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The Etosha National Park is home to 114 species, including the endangered black rhino

Overview

  • The Environment Ministry estimates about 775,163 hectares, roughly 34% of the 22,270 sq km park, have burned since the fire started on 22 September.
  • Following an emergency cabinet meeting, authorities ordered 500 additional soldiers to bolster troops, police, local firefighters and volunteers already on the ground.
  • Defence Minister Frans Kapofi said deployments from multiple regions are underway to reach all affected areas.
  • At least nine antelope deaths have been confirmed, with the park’s 114 mammal species, including the critically endangered black rhinoceros, at risk from habitat loss.
  • The blaze has spread into communal areas of the Omusati and Oshana regions, damaging grazing land and impacting several villages as teams add helicopters and a water tanker to operations.