Authorities in Botswana says it is not unusual for buffalo to drown.
This follows the tragic incident reported on Wednesday after approximately 400 buffalo drowned in the Chobe River on the border between Botswana and Namibia.
It appeared that the animals were being chased by lions and ran into the river before being stuck between the bank on the other side of the river which was too high.
The animals reportedly started to panic and a deadly stampede followed.
This is the first time that such a large herd of them have drowned in one incident, with the largest drowning prior to this being about 50 buffalo. However, Botswana’s environment ministry released a statement saying that mass drownings are not unusual in the Chobe River.
According to the BBC, Simone Micheletti, who owns a lodge on the Namibian side of the river, said that the herd was unusually large - at roughly 1,000 buffaloes.
Micheletti told the BBC that prior to the incident he had heard lions roaring for long periods on Tuesday night just before he went down to the river and saw hundreds of dead buffaloes in the river on Wednesday morning.
People in the area are collecting the carcasses, cutting them up and taking them home to eat.
- African News Agency (ANA)
