HARARE, Zimbabwe - At least 55 elephants have starved to death in the past two months in Zimbabwe’s biggest national park as a serious drought forces animals to stray into nearby communities in search of food and water, authorities said on Monday. “The problem is real, the situation is dire,” said National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesman Tinashe Farawo. Other animals such as lions at Hwange National Park have been affected. The park can handle 15,000 elephants but currently has about 53,000, Farawo said. The wildlife agency has been drilling wells as deep as 400 metres (yards) to find water for the animals.

Source: thestar October 21, 2019 13:18 UTC