Looking for water to drink in drought! Elephants trudged hard in front of a water hole and “died of thirst”. Shocking footage exposed | International | Sanli News Network SETN.COM

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African elephant sightseeing used to be one of the selling points of Zimbabwe National Park. Recently, it has been reported that many elephants have died due to thirst and starvation. The reason is that the local drought has lasted for six months, and the drought This is also one of the reasons why Zimbabwe National Park sells live elephants. If this source of gold is lost, it will be difficult to repair waterholes to fight drought and maintain the park.

▲Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, an African country, is facing a severe drought. It is reported that at least 10 elephants died of thirst as a result. (Photo/Reuters/Dazhi Image)

From the photos taken by Reuters, it can be seen that this seemingly dry and huge carcass is a wild elephant in the Hwange National Park (Hwange National Park) in the African country of Zimbabwe. According to reports, due to the drought in the area, It is reported that at least 10 elephants died of thirst as a result.

According to the “Daily Mail” report, Zimbabwe has been facing a severe drought since 2019, with crop production sharply reduced. At least 55 elephants died of thirst in Hwange National Park that year. According to the past, Zimbabwe’s rainy season has dropped from 11 May to March, but there has been almost no rain so far this year. The drought is expected to last until 2024, according to the local weather bureau.

▲Generally speaking, each adult elephant needs about 200 liters of water per day. However, with the decrease in water resources and the inability to pump out enough water from 104 wells, some elephant corpses are left near the waterholes, presumably in search of water. The water source travels a long way but dies before reaching it. (Photo/Reuters/Dazhi Image)

Generally speaking, each adult elephant needs about 53 gallons (200 liters) of water per day. However, with the water source dwindling and the 104 wells unable to pump out enough water, some elephant corpses are found near the waterholes. It is speculated that He traveled a long distance in search of water, but died before reaching it. In addition to causing elephants to die of thirst, severe droughts have even affected the growth of plants and crops. “Elephants are starving to death. This is a big problem.”

Park officials also mentioned that the national park can only accommodate 15,000 elephants, but now there are more than 45,000 elephants, causing “large-scale damage” to vegetation, and other animals such as lions are also affected. Zimbabwe has distinct dry and wet seasons. Life for humans and animals is difficult during the dry period. In the past, it was rumored that one of the reasons why Zimbabwe National Park sells live elephants is because if this gold source is lost, it will be difficult to repair the waterholes. Drought and park maintenance will be difficult.

Regarding Zimbabwe’s “selling of elephants for conservation,” the Union of African States and the European Union have made a decision at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting in Geneva to ban Zimbabwe from selling African elephants. In areas that are not the natural habitat of this species, the park now wants to dig wells, but due to lack of subsidies, it is difficult to carry out the plan. The survival of the elephants may be in danger.

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