Namibia: Etosha Fires Spare Wildlife

The Namibian (Windhoek)

September 6, 2006
Posted to the web September 6, 2006

Absalom Shigwedha
Windhoek

NO wild animals perished in the veld fire that gutted a huge part of the Etosha National Park on Thursday, a senior official in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism said yesterday.

Ben Beytell, the Director of Parks and Wildlife Management, told The Namibian that no game were reported killed by the fire, which burned about 200 000 hectares of Etosha.

"We flew up there yesterday (on Monday) and we did not see anything," said Beytell.

He said the fire was caused by lighting, which ignited three fires at the same time.

One fire erupted at the Karos Rare Species Camp, a site in Etosha where the Ministry of Environment and Tourism keeps rare animal species such as roan antelope, rhino and black-faced impala.

It is a fenced camp covering an area of about 35 000 hectares.

The second fire was ignited in the Hobatere concession area in the Kunene Region west of Etosha, while a third erupted in the park itself.

The fires spread to some commercial farms south of the park and raged until Sunday, Beytell said.

He said when they flew there on Monday, they spotted smoke south-west of Kamanjab, which could also have been caused by lightning.

A number of veld fires have been reported in the country since June and have destroyed huge areas of grazing land.


Etosha National Park is Namibia's flagship park, attracting 50 per cent of all tourists to the country, and is one of the world's oldest national parks.

It is inhibited by 114 mammal species (several endangered), 380 bird, 110 reptile, 16 amphibian and one fish species.

The Etosha Pan at the centre of Etosha Park is classified as a wetland of international importance.

Wendell -- do you know if any of the smoke made it to Vaughan's concessions? Etosha and Hobatere are right there. Of course they are quite large.

Friday, September 8, 2006 - Web posted at 7:11:40 GMT

Etosha fires finally extinguished

BRIGITTE WEIDLICH
DEVASTATING bush fires that have raged in the western part of the Etosha National Park since last weekend have been extinguished, a farmer in the area said yesterday.

Renate Hoth, who has a hunting safari enterprise on the farm Robyn close to the park's south-western border, said: "The fire was brought under control in mid-week and is now extinguished."

More than 200 000 hectares burnt down after lightning sparked the fires, which spread very fast because of strong winds.

The fires spread to a few farms in the vicinity but the combined efforts of the farmers and their workers brought it under control.

Environment and Tourism Minister Willem Konjore flew to the area yesterday to assess the situation.

According to Steve Brain of Hobatere Lodge, which is situated opposite the western fence of Etosha along the Kamanjab-Ruacana road, the farm lost 5 000 hectares of grazing.

"We lost no animals, thank goodness, but we had to fight the fire for 12 hours until four in the morning," Brain told The Namibian yesterday.

"I flew over the area today and all fires are out."

Brain said a 20-kilometre stretch of the scenic area close to the Ombonde River, adjacent to Hobatere, was also burnt.

"There is no fence and the animals could flee to safety," he said.

The Namibian has reliably learnt that nature conservation officials could not do much about the Etosha fires, since they had no fuel for vehicles and the bulldozers were broken down.

Radio equipment was also out of order, an official in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism at Okaukuejo said.

No comment could be obtained on whether animals were burnt and had to be put down.

The Etosha National Park will celebrate its centenary in March 2007.

It was proclaimed a protected area for game in 1907 by former German colonial Governor Von Lindequist.

That is good news.

Thanks for the follow up, Kathi.