Authorities in Namibia have deployed helicopters and hundreds of soldiers to combat a fire that has ravaged a third of a key nature reserve.
One of the top tourist attractions in Southern Africa is Etosha National Park, and it is known for its vast salt pan that can be seen from space.
Also, the nature reserve is home to critically endangered black rhinos.
RELATED STORIES
READ ALSO: Fire and building collapse in Egypt’s Nile Delta kill 8, injure dozens
The environment ministry of Namibia strongly believes the fire started on Monday at a charcoal production outside the park’s borders.
Nearly a week on, and it has spread into the park, killing at least nine antelope and destroying wildlife habitats.
It has also destroyed a grazing pasture in the Omusati and Oshana regions bordering Angola.
Recently, opposition MP Likando Rodrick criticised the government for failing to contain the fire, saying they should have been better prepared and urging them to beef up their long-term response measures.
On Saturday at an emergency meeting, the decision was taken to send 500 more troops to help firefighters, police, and volunteers on the ground, Prime Minister Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare said on X.
According to the government, covering a total of 22,935 sq km (8,855 sq miles), Etosha National Park is one of the largest in Africa, and about 200,000 tourists visit the nature reserve every year.
It boasts a total of 114 mammal species and attracts hundreds of migratory birds, including flamingos, per the BBC.
READ ALSO: Assata Shakur, FBI’s most wanted woman and Tupac’s godmother, dies in Cuba
Experts confirm that wildfires occur naturally in arid savannah and believe occasional wildfires are a necessary part of keeping ecosystems healthy, provided they are managed closely.
