In reply to:

---

He, however, told The Herald that the area, including Sinamatella, had not had enough water for the past two weeks after a delay in diesel supplies, which is used to pump water engines scattered around the wildlife sanctuary.

The area does not have natural water reservoirs hence the parks authority uses diesel pumps to supply water to the vast game area, which stretches from the country's major animal sanctuary, Hwange, to the country's top tourism centre, Victoria Falls.

"So the animals rely on water from the pumps. However, at the moment we cannot rule that the calves and buffaloes died of thirst because during that period we tried our best to make water available although it was not enough," Rtd Maj Mbewe said.

He said the authority required up to 3 800 litres of diesel to keep the pumps operational for at least a week.

Plains game and other game species have in the past few years starved to death as they could not compete for basic food and water with the jumbos.

---

The Hwange Park animals depend heavily on man made water supplies / bores / tanks. When I was there in 1994, prior to my visit one of the bore pumps was allowed to stop for several weeks, due to breakdown or lack of fuel, resulting in a large number of animals dying of thirst.

Also the elephants dominate the water tanks, standing all around the outlet, drinking directly from the outlet so the water tank (a small concrete "pool" in the ground) never filled up. They chased kudu and other antelope anyway continually. The only animal that was able to drink was a cape buffalo that arrogantly just marched up, through the elephant herd and started drinking. The elephant did not chase 'balck death' away, though I believe they do as well. Perhaps this bull buffalo displayed the right "attitude".

Now with fuel being rare and expensive in Zimbabwe who knows how many pumps and bores operate and for how long at a time?

(Matetsi is to the North of Hwange)