WINDHOEK, Sept. 23– More than 80 buffaloes died Monday evening after a mass drowning in Namibia’s Chobe River following a stampede triggered by lions, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism confirmed on Tuesday.
The stampede occurred when lions chased a herd of buffalo from the Botswana side of the river into Namibia, in the Serondela area, ministerial spokesperson Ndeshipanda Hamunyela said.
The animals fell from a deep cliff into the river, with some tumbling over each other, she said.
“The ministry and other law enforcement officials are on site to maintain law and order. The meat will be distributed to communities in the immediate area by the ministry with the involvement of other relevant stakeholders in the region,” the spokesperson said.
A similar incident also occurred in 2023, which saw over 100 buffaloes die in a mass drowning following a stampede into the Chobe River.
The Chobe River flows along the northeastern border of the Chobe National Park in Botswana, which is known for its large wildlife breeding (Xinhua)
