Thousands of animals are being relocated in Zimbabwe due to climate change

Thousands of wild animals are being relocated in Zimbabwe as a part of a massive rescue mission from the drought-hit areas in the country, with climate change posing a threat to several species in the country.

According to a report, about 400 elephants, 2,000 impalas, 70 giraffes, 50 buffaloes, 50 wildebeest, 50 zebras, 50 elands, 10 lions, and a pack of 10 wild dogs are among the animals being moved from Zimbabwe’s Save Valley Conservancy to three conservancies in the north — Sapi, Matusadonha, and Chizarira.

The ‘Project Rewild Zambezi’ — as the operation is called — is moving the animals to an area in the Zambezi River valley to rebuild the wildlife populations there.

It’s the first time in 60 years that Zimbabwe has embarked on such a mass internal movement of wildlife. Between 1958 and 1964, in erstwhile Rhodesia, more than 5,000 animals were moved in what was called ‘Operation Noah’.

That operation rescued wildlife from the rising water caused by the construction of a massive hydroelectric dam on the Zambezi River that created one of the world’s largest man-made lakes, Lake Kariba.

The effects of climate change on wildlife are not isolated to Zimbabwe. Across Africa, national parks that are home to myriad wildlife species such as lions, elephants, and buffaloes are increasingly threatened by below-average rainfall and new infrastructure projects.

Authorities and experts say the drought has seriously threatened species like rhinos, giraffes, and antelope as it reduces the amount of food available.