Wildfires consume 38% of Namibia's flagship Etosha National Park

WINDHOEK -- Wildfires have ravaged about 853,946 hectares of Namibia's flagship Etosha National Park, with the area affected representing 38 percent of the park's total landmass, Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism Indileni Daniel confirmed on Thursday.

As of Wednesday, the fires inside the park have been contained and extinguished, the minister said.

"Outside Etosha National Park, a new active fire was discovered during the night in the Otoongo area, situated between the Okahao and Ruacana constituencies, and remains active," she said. "A combined team from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, the Namibian Defense Force, and local communities continues to work tirelessly to contain and extinguish the blaze."

An assessment is underway to determine the full extent of the damage, including wildlife casualties, Daniel said.

"This process will take several days and will be verified by senior ministry officials. As part of this, we are also reviewing the implementation of the Fire Management Strategy for Protected Areas to identify any gaps and consider necessary corrective actions," she said.

The wildfire, which began on Sept 22, is believed to have originated from charcoal production activities on a commercial farm bordering the southwestern section of Etosha National Park.