The contamination from Cyno Bacteria,has claimed more lives beyond the rhinos, with three zebras, four wildebeests, fish eagles, and livestock, including goats and cattle from nearby farms, also succumbing to the polluted waters.
Lake Chivero,(Mcllwaine) one of Zimbabwe’s seven Ramsar-protected wetlands, has long battled pollution stemming from Harare’s malfunctioning sewage treatment plants.
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) flagged Lake Chivero as one of the country’s most polluted water bodies. Marjorie Munyonga, ZINWA’s spokesperson, highlighted urbanisation, power shortages, and poor maintenance of sewage treatment facilities as major contributors to the crisis.
A 2019 study published in Food Quality and Safety raised alarm over the lake’s high levels of microbial and toxic pollutants, which pose severe risks to wildlife and human populations dependent on the water source.
“The deaths of the rhinos and other wildlife underline the urgency of restoring Lake Chivero’s ecological health,” conservationists have warned, stressing the economic and environmental importance of the wetland.
