In a controversial yet urgent response to severe drought conditions, Zimbabwe and Namibia have announced plans to cull hundreds of wild elephants and other animals to alleviate hunger among residents. The drought-stricken southern African nations aim to distribute the meat to communities in dire need of protein.
Zimbabwe declared on Monday it would permit the killing of 200 elephants, distributing their meat to struggling communities. In Namibia, a more extensive effort is underway, targeting over 700 wild animals, including 83 elephants, as part of a plan unveiled three weeks ago.
Tinashe Farawo, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, stated that hunting permits would be issued in needy communities, with the agency contributing to the slaughter of the 200 elephants allocated for culling.
“We will start culling as soon as we have finished issuing out permits,” Farawo confirmed.
Farawo explained that the elephants would be sourced from regions where their populations have exceeded sustainable limits. This includes areas like Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe’s arid west, where increasing competition for food and water due to rising temperatures has exacerbated tensions between humans and wildlife.
Hwange National Park, home to over 45,000 elephants, now can only sustain about 15,000, according to Farawo. Zimbabwe’s overall elephant population stands at roughly 100,000, which park officials argue is double what the nation’s parks can support.
The El Nino weather phenomenon has significantly worsened the situation. Last December, the parks agency reported that over 100 elephants succumbed to drought. Farawo warned that more animals might die from thirst and hunger in the coming weeks as the country faces its hottest season.
Zimbabwe’s Environment Minister, Sithembiso Nyoni, informed Parliament last week that she approved the culling program.
“Indeed Zimbabwe has more elephants than we need, more elephants than our forestry can accommodate,” Nyoni stated.
She highlighted the government’s preparations to emulate Namibia’s approach by culling elephants and involving women in drying, packaging, and distributing the meat to needy communities.
Last month, the Namibian government sanctioned the culling of 723 animals, including 83 elephants, 30 hippos, 60 buffalos, 50 impalas, 300 zebras, and 100 elands, among others. The aim is to reduce elephant numbers in five of Namibia’s national parks, where human-wildlife conflict is prevalent.
Romeo Muyunda, spokesperson for Namibia’s environment department, defended the policy, citing its alignment with the constitutional mandate to utilize natural resources for the benefit of Namibian citizens. “This is also a prime example that conservation of game is really beneficial,” Muyunda said.
Contrastingly, Botswana, situated between Zimbabwe and Namibia and holding the world’s largest elephant population at 130,000, has not proposed similar measures to slaughter its elephants for food.
Guyo Roba, a food security and agricultural expert with the Kenya-based Jameel Observatory, acknowledged the rationale behind Zimbabwe and Namibia’s measures given the drought severity and their wildlife overpopulation issues.
“They are working against a wildlife population that is above their carrying capacity,” Roba observed. “So it may seem controversial initially, but the governments are torn between remaining faithful to some of their obligations at an international level in terms of conservation and supporting the population,” Roba concluded.
