Zimbabwean authorities have given permission to kill 200 elephants to feed hungry citizens suffering from the worst drought in decades, said Tinashe Farawo, a spokeswoman for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority. CNN Nearly half the country’s population is at risk of acute hunger, “so we are targeting the killing of 200 elephants.”
The decision follows recent moves to kill elephants and other wildlife in Namibia to ease food insecurity caused by a prolonged drought. These killings have faced criticism from animal rights advocates and conservationists.
According to Farawo, Zimbabwe has an elephant population of more than 84,000, almost double its estimated capacity of 45,000. It is the second largest population in the world after Botswana.
Last week, Environment Minister Sithembiso Nyoni told parliament that Zimbabwe had too many elephants and more than the forest could handle. She said the overpopulation was leading to a shortage of resources, fuelling human-wildlife conflict.
Nyoni said the government was considering strategies similar to those in Namibia, which include counting elephants and organising communities, particularly women, to preserve meat and distribute it in protein-deficient areas.
“When wildlife populations increase in a park, they tend to migrate out of the park in search of resources such as water or vegetation. This brings them into contact with humans, leading to conflict,” Nyoni said.
In Namibia, the government has authorized the killing of 700 wild animals, including elephants, to be distributed to people suffering from food shortages. So far, 150 animals have been killed and more than 125,000 pounds of meat has been distributed, according to Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
Zimbabwe and Namibia are among southern African countries facing severe droughts caused by El Niño and climate change.
Farawo, a spokesman for Zimbabwe’s parks authority, said elephants would begin to be killed once the necessary documentation was ready. The slaughter would take place in densely populated areas.
However, there has been strong opposition to these proposed elephant culling.
Farai Maguwu, head of the Zimbabwe-based Centre for Natural Resource Governance, condemned the practice, saying, “Elephant killing must be stopped. Elephants have a right to exist,” adding that future generations have a right to see elephants in their natural habitat.
The slaughter of elephants must stop. Some people are looking for an opportunity to sell ivory illegally – because these private jets are flying in every week. The way minerals are being plundered, soon we will have no elephants to talk about. Stay away from our wildlife!
— Farai Maguwu (@FMaguwu) September 15, 2024
Conservation biologist and natural resources consultant Keith Lindsay also expressed concern that using wildlife to address food insecurity could unbalance the demand for bushmeat.
Farawo defended the killing, the first in Zimbabwe since 1988, as part of broader efforts to reduce human-elephant conflict after a series of deadly elephant attacks.
“These animals are causing serious problems in communities, killing people. Just last week, a woman was killed by an elephant in the northern part of the country. A similar incident happened a week ago. So, killing them is also a way of controlling them,” he said.
At least 31 people have been killed in conflict between humans and wildlife in Zimbabwe this year, local media reported.