Zimbabwe Plans To Cull Hundreds Of Elephants To Feed People Left Hungry By Drought

Authorities in Zimbabwe have announced plans to cull 200 elephants to provide food for communities suffering from extreme hunger due to the worst drought in 40 years. The El Niño-driven drought devastated crops across southern Africa, affecting 68 million people and leading to widespread food shortages.

Tinashe Farawo, a spokesperson for Zimbabwe’s parks and wildlife authority, stated that the plan involves culling approximately 200 elephants, and the details are still being finalized. The elephant meat will be distributed to communities hit hardest by the drought.

First elephant cull in Zimbabwe since 1988

This will be the first elephant cull in Zimbabwe since 1988. The decision comes after Namibia culled 83 elephants last month and distributed the meat to those affected by the drought.

The culling will occur in Hwange, Mbire, Tsholotsho, and Chiredzi districts. An estimated 200,000 elephants inhabit a conservation area that spans five southern African countries—Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Angola, and Namibia—making this region home to one of the largest elephant populations in the world.

Farawo also mentioned that the culling is intended to reduce the number of elephants in the country’s parks, which can only support 55,000 elephants. Zimbabwe currently has over 84,000 elephants.

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Severe drought in Zimbabwe

He noted that the cull aims to ease pressure on park resources during the drought, though the number of elephants being culled is relatively small compared to the overall population. The severe drought has also heightened human-wildlife conflicts, with 50 people dying from elephant attacks in Zimbabwe last year.

Zimbabwe, known for its conservation efforts and expanding elephant population, has been advocating for the UN’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to permit the trade of ivory and live elephants. The country holds ivory stockpiles worth approximately $600,000 (£450,000) that it is unable to sell.

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