Zimbabwe reserve overflows with elephants

Zimbabwe weighs cost of too many elephants Agencies – Arabstoday Elephant population is skyrocketing in Zimbabwe causing wildlife authorities to use 45 generators to ensure animals get hydrated regularly. Each generator in Zimbabwe’s Hwange game reserve consumes 200 litres of diesel a week from June to November.   This increase in generators has done a lot of good to the elephants inhabiting the reserve. This year around 17 elephants died due to dehydration and extreme heat compared to 77 last year. "The elephants drink close to 90 percent of all the water (pumped) here," said Edwin Makuwe, an ecologist with the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority. Though water is now constantly running, the reserve is still overcrowded with elephants. The reserve is 14,600 square-kilometres in size and caters to 35,000 to 40,000 elephants – twice its capacity. The increase in the elephant population has led to higher demand for water at the park, home to over 100 different species of animals including the "Big Five" - elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos and the endangered rhinoceros. Makuwe said the rise in the elephant population led to the destruction of the environment. "There is so much activity by the elephants that the vegetation has been affected negatively, the trees are no longer growing as fast as they should." "If you lose the trees and you are left with the grasslands, then definitely some of the species will be lost," he said. The authorities are yet to find a solution.