Five hippopotamuses have died after becoming trapped in a mud pool in northeastern Namibia, where severe drought conditions have caused a major river to dry up, the environment ministry reported on Friday.
The deceased hippos were part of a group of 130 stranded in a pool along the Chobe River, near the border with Botswana, after the water in the pool evaporated.
Romeo Muyunda, a spokesman for the ministry, stated that five hippos had died from one of the ponds in the Zambezi Region. He suggested that starvation might have contributed to their deaths but did not rule out the possibility of diseases, such as anthrax.
Other animals are also trapped in two additional pools in the region, prompting the ministry to drill a borehole to assist the stranded wildlife.
Namibia is experiencing what the United Nations describes as the worst drought in over a century, impacting several southern African countries.
Muyunda noted that there is no grass, and the Chobe River had completely dried up.
The Namibian government declared a state of emergency in May due to the drought.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, about 1.15 million people in Namibia—approximately 38 percent of the population—are facing high levels of acute food insecurity and need urgent assistance.
In August, the government announced plans to cull 723 wild animals, including elephants and hippos, to alleviate pressure on food and water resources and provide meat for those suffering from hunger.