Botswana Authorizes Killing of 23 Elephants for Independence Day Amid Criticism
The decision to cull elephants for meat during national celebrations has drawn fire from conservationists and a former president, while the government cites population management and community benefit.
Botswana's government has authorized the culling of 23 elephants as part of its independence day celebrations, a move that has drawn criticism from conservation groups and a former president. The licenses, issued across various districts, are intended to provide meat for rural communities, according to government officials.
African savanna elephants are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, Botswana hosts an estimated 130,000 elephants, the largest population in Africa. The government has defended its policy of issuing annual hunting quotas, which were reinstated in 2019 after a ban, as a necessary measure to manage the elephant population and mitigate human-elephant conflict.
In recent years, Botswana has permitted annual hunting quotas ranging from 200 to over 400 elephants. The recent authorization coincided with the nation's 60th anniversary of independence from Britain. In addition to the elephants, dozens of antelope were also authorized for hunting.
The Botswana Elephant Protection Society has voiced concerns that the decision is