Zimbabwe and Namibia are among a number of countries in southern Africa that due to an unprecedented drought and associated food shortages have declared a state of emergency. After Namibia, Zimbabwe is now also forced to take a drastic step. The country wants to kill 200 elephants. At the same time, it is a Measures against the rapidly growing elephant populationthe competent authority said.
The Ministry of Environment in Harare announced on Wednesday, the country has “more elephants than it needs”. The government has therefore instructed the wildlife park administration (ZimParks) to begin culling the animals.
The Elephants should hunted in areas where there have been clashes with humansincluding Hwange, home to the country’s largest nature reserve, ZimParks Director General Fulton Mangwanya told AFP.
The plan is not only cruel, but also dangerously short-sighted.
Animal welfare organization Pete
It is estimated that there are 100,000 elephants living in Zimbabweit is the country with the second largest elephant population after Botswana. Hwange alone is home to 65,000 of the large animals, which according to ZimParks is four times more than the area can actually accommodate. The last time elephants were culled in Zimbabwe was in 1988.
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Namibia had previously announced 700 wild animals such as elephants and hippos are to be killed because of the worst drought in decades. Around 160 animals have already been killed, the Ministry of the Environment announced at the beginning of last week. The proposal to shoot hippos, buffalo, antelopes, zebras and elephants in national parks is part of a plan to deal with the drought, which has already led the government to declare a state of emergency.
The shootings will be carried out by professional hunters. A total of 30 hippos, 60 buffalo and 83 elephants will be killed, among others. 300 zebras are also on the hit list.
The duration of the operation is still unclear, a spokesman for the Environment Ministry told the AFP news agency. “Our goal is to keep trauma to a minimum. We have to separate the animals that are to be hunted from those that are not.” In accordance with the international ban on the sale of ivory, the tusks of the killed elephants would be taken to state warehouses, the spokesman assured.
According to the plans, the animals’ meat will be distributed to the people who suffer most from the drought. Reducing the number of animals is also intended to reduce the pressure on pastures and water supplies in the national parks. Animals and people compete for scarce resources.
However, the plan is causing controversy. The organization “Elephant Human Relation Aid” (EHRA), which campaigns for the peaceful coexistence of animals and humans, started a petition for an alternative solution. “The plan is not only cruel, but also dangerously short-sighted,” criticized the organization Peta. Culling will not solve the drought problem.
Due to lack of rain, Namibia’s President Nangolo Mbumba declared a state of emergency in May. The southern African countries of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi have also declared a state of disaster or emergency due to the weather phenomenon “El Niño”.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the current “El Niño” is one of the five strongest in recent decades. According to the United Nations, almost half of the Namibian population, around 1.4 million people, do not have enough to eat. (AFP, epd)
