Locals feast as 120 buffalos drown in lion chase
• Shifeta says stampede unfortunate
Santa has delivered in October for locals in the Zambezi Region after a horrendous buffalo stampede in Kabulabula.
About 120 buffalos died during a stampede along the Chobe River when they tried to cross from the Chobe National Park in Botswana into Namibia while being chased by lions on Friday morning.
The environment ministry confirmed that it received a report on a stampede in the area of Kabulabula in the Zambezi Region.
Spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said no human injuries were reported.
“This happens naturally for animals that move in big groups and this is not the first time it has happened.”
Muyunda added that conservancy officials were at the scene and ministry officials were dispatched to conduct further investigations.
Simone Micheletti from Serondela Lodge - who was at the scene - told Namibian Sun that 12 lions chased the buffalos and managed to kill three on land.
The rest drowned or died in the panic from the stampede.
Micheletti added that, in such circumstances, when the ministry is satisfied that the animals pose no health risks, they are often given to the community.
“But it has to follow processes regulated by the ministry.”
Common occurrence
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said it is an unfortunate incident which occurred because the buffalos were frightened by the lions.
“Normally, what happens is that the lions ambush the buffalos and try to corner them and then they jump in the river to escape. That area has got a lot of buffalos. Sometimes you will find a herd of 800, up to 1 000.
“So far, they have counted that 117 to 120 buffalos died.”
Shifeta said this is an occurrence that happens almost every year, but sometimes not so many animals die, and it is often not reported.
He further confirmed that about 60 to 70 carcasses were given to the Kabulabula conservancy, while the rest were distributed to villages outside the conservancy.
Lions attract tourists
“The lions are doing well thanks to the human-wildlife conflict programme from the Kwando carnivore project, which is protecting livestock in Namibia with predator-proof kraals,” Micheletti said on Friday.
He added that in the past, lions used to attack a lot of cattle.
“Now, the cattle are safer and lions are not killed any more by farmers. The community is cooperating and appreciates the human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures.”
He added that tourism is also doing well in the area due to the presence of lions, and this generates employment and income for conservancies.
In 2018, a similar incident was reported about a kilometre from where the buffalos drowned on Friday.
In that incident, about 1 000 buffalos tried to cross the Chobe River into Namibia when chased by lions, and 400 drowned in the resultant stampede.
The Chobe River flows along the north-eastern border of the Chobe National Park, which is known for large breeding herds of elephants, giraffes, sable and African buffalo, making it a major tourist destination.
The environment ministry confirmed that it received a report on a stampede in the area of Kabulabula in the Zambezi Region.
Spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said no human injuries were reported.
“This happens naturally for animals that move in big groups and this is not the first time it has happened.”
Muyunda added that conservancy officials were at the scene and ministry officials were dispatched to conduct further investigations.
Simone Micheletti from Serondela Lodge - who was at the scene - told Namibian Sun that 12 lions chased the buffalos and managed to kill three on land.
The rest drowned or died in the panic from the stampede.
Micheletti added that, in such circumstances, when the ministry is satisfied that the animals pose no health risks, they are often given to the community.
“But it has to follow processes regulated by the ministry.”
Common occurrence
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said it is an unfortunate incident which occurred because the buffalos were frightened by the lions.
“Normally, what happens is that the lions ambush the buffalos and try to corner them and then they jump in the river to escape. That area has got a lot of buffalos. Sometimes you will find a herd of 800, up to 1 000.
“So far, they have counted that 117 to 120 buffalos died.”
Shifeta said this is an occurrence that happens almost every year, but sometimes not so many animals die, and it is often not reported.
He further confirmed that about 60 to 70 carcasses were given to the Kabulabula conservancy, while the rest were distributed to villages outside the conservancy.
Lions attract tourists
“The lions are doing well thanks to the human-wildlife conflict programme from the Kwando carnivore project, which is protecting livestock in Namibia with predator-proof kraals,” Micheletti said on Friday.
He added that in the past, lions used to attack a lot of cattle.
“Now, the cattle are safer and lions are not killed any more by farmers. The community is cooperating and appreciates the human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures.”
He added that tourism is also doing well in the area due to the presence of lions, and this generates employment and income for conservancies.
In 2018, a similar incident was reported about a kilometre from where the buffalos drowned on Friday.
In that incident, about 1 000 buffalos tried to cross the Chobe River into Namibia when chased by lions, and 400 drowned in the resultant stampede.
The Chobe River flows along the north-eastern border of the Chobe National Park, which is known for large breeding herds of elephants, giraffes, sable and African buffalo, making it a major tourist destination.
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