More than 80 buffaloes have been killed after being trampled in a rush to escape lions, resulting in them drowning in a river on the Namibian side of the border. The buffaloes were reportedly fleeing from lions chasing them in Botswana when they fell off a deep cliff into the Chobe River, according to Namibia's environment and tourism department.
Past incidents have seen hundreds of buffaloes fall victim to similar circumstances. In a particularly drastic case in 2018, around 400 buffaloes died after plunging into the river. The Chobe River flows through Botswana's Chobe National Park, renowned for its rich wildlife, including elephants and giraffes.
An official from Namibia's Kabulabula Conservancy explained that when buffaloes are pursued by lions, they often attempt to cross into Namibia, leading to dangerous stampedes. Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, a spokesperson for the Namibian Environment, Forestry and Tourism Ministry, confirmed that the buffaloes came from Botswana, though it is unclear if they originate from Chobe National Park.
The carcasses of the buffaloes will be distributed to local communities, as stated by Hamunyela. Residents were seen in a video shared by the Namibian public broadcaster NBC, dividing the meat near the riverbanks. The number of buffaloes reported killed varies, with NBC citing the figure at 90 during the incident which occurred around 05:00 local time.
