Zimbabwe considers culling elephants to address severe food shortages caused by a prolonged drought and worsened by El Niño.
(Harare) – Facing extreme drought conditions and food shortages affecting millions, the Zimbabwean government is considering culling elephants to provide food for its people. This controversial measure is seen as a potential solution to both hunger and the challenges of managing the country’s elephant population, which has grown beyond Zimbabwe’s capacity to sustain.
Farai Maguwu, Director of the Center for Natural Resource Governance, has voiced opposition, warning that the proposal to cull elephants could face significant backlash. Citing the example of Namibia, which recently culled 700 wild animals, including 83 elephants, Maguwu fears Zimbabwe may face a similar international response. Zimbabwe is home to approximately 100,000 elephants—more than double its environmental carrying capacity of 45,000. Due to restrictions from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), Zimbabwe is unable to sell elephants, complicating population control.
The El Niño phenomenon has caused drought conditions across southern Africa, affecting Zimbabwe and four other countries severely, with millions now facing food insecurity. Zimbabwe’s plan to cull 200 elephants to help relieve the food crisis echoes Namibia’s approach, which sparked controversy globally.
In a statement to Parliament on September 11, Environment Minister Sithembiso Nyoni emphasized the urgency of the situation. Nyoni cited the pressure of a growing elephant population, which Zimbabwe’s forests can no longer sustain. Her statements have drawn mixed reactions, with some praising the move as a practical response to the hunger crisis and others condemning it as harmful to conservation.
Bekezela Maplanka, an opposition leader from Bulilima district in southwestern Zimbabwe, also expressed skepticism. She noted the severity of the drought, which has wiped out seasonal crops and weakened livestock, but described the proposal to cull elephants as extreme. “People are hungry,” Maplanka said, “but eating elephants is not a common practice here.”
Tennyson Williams, Africa director for the NGO World Animal Protection, condemned the decision, cautioning that it could encourage poaching and undermine decades of conservation efforts. Williams argued that the potential impact of providing elephant meat to millions in need would be limited and could create long-term damage to wildlife populations.
Maguwu also criticized the proposal, calling it a “false solution.” With an estimated six to seven million Zimbabweans in need of food aid, he questioned the effectiveness of culling elephants as a sustainable answer. Maguwu urged the government to seek alternative solutions that address both the immediate food shortage and the long-term conservation of Zimbabwe’s wildlife…….See More
