By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
At least 90 buffaloes were killed in Namibia’s far east on Tuesday after a stampede triggered by lions sent the animals tumbling off a cliff into the Chobe River, wildlife officials confirmed.
The tragic incident occurred around 5:00 am along the river in the Zambezi conservation area, a wildlife-rich zone bordering Botswana. Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, spokesperson for Namibia’s tourism ministry, told AFP that “it is an unfortunate incident. The animals fell from a deep cliff down into the river and some tumbled over each other.”
Footage aired by state broadcaster NBC showed men chopping up the carcasses and loading them onto trucks, as authorities moved in to maintain order. “The meat will be distributed to communities in the immediate area by the ministry with the involvement of other relevant stakeholders,” Hamunyela added.
Such mass drownings are not new to the region. In October 2023, over 100 buffaloes chased by lions died in a similar stampede in the Chobe River, while more than 400 drowned in Botswana in 2018.
Conservationists warn that these deaths, though sometimes seen by locals as a source of free meat, pose ecological risks, including river pollution and drawing predators closer to human settlements.
