Zimbabwe has ordered the culling of 200 elephants as the country grapples with an unprecedented drought leading to food shortages, according to a report by The Guardian. The government claims this move is necessary to manage the country’s burgeoning elephant population.
Sithembiso Nyoni, Zimbabwe’s environment minister confirmed with Voice of America that the country has “more elephants than it needed.” The government has instructed the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) to begin the culling process in areas where elephants have clashed with humans, including Hwange, home to Zimbabwe’s largest natural reserve.
Fulton Mangwanya, director general of ZimParks, explained that the 200 elephants would be hunted in conflict-prone areas. Zimbabwe is home to an estimated 100,000 elephants, the second-largest population globally after Botswana. Conservation efforts have led to Hwange housing 65,000 elephants, more than four times its capacity, according to ZimParks.
The decision comes as Zimbabwe, along with other southern African countries, faces severe drought conditions. Approximately 42% of Zimbabweans live in poverty, based on UN estimates, and authorities predict that about 6 million people will require food assistance during the upcoming lean season from November to March.
we can cull the elephants and mobilize the women to maybe dry the meat, package it, and ensure that it gets to some communities that need the protein.”
Sithembise Nyoni, Environment Minister.
Minister Nyoni outlined plans for the culled elephants, stating, “We are having a discussion with ZimParks and some communities to do like what Namibia has done, so that we can cull the elephants and mobilize the women to maybe dry the meat, package it, and ensure that it gets to some communities that need the protein.”