Botswana approves culling of 23 elephants for anniversary

Ahead of celebrations marking 60 years of independence from the United Kingdom, Botswana's government has issued a permit to cull 23 elephants and other wildlife for non-commercial purposes. The decision was made by the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the BBC reports.

Elephant meat is meant to form part of the traditional festive feast. The move has drawn sharp criticism from animal welfare groups: local elephant conservation organisations warn that a government permit to cull the animals risks creating the impression that killing them is acceptable simply because the authorities have approved it. In their view, elephants need stronger protection, not less.

According to the BBC, elephant meat is relatively familiar to some communities living alongside the animals, though it is not an everyday food: distribution of elephant meat is tightly controlled by the authorities and must come exclusively from permitted hunts. Such hunting has been allowed again in the country since 2019, after a five-year ban.

Officials justify the permit by arguing that hunting supports local development while also helping to conserve nature. Supporters of this approach point to the problems residents face because of wild animals: Botswana is home to more than 130,000 elephants, and communities living near them have long complained that the animals destroy crops and property, and sometimes kill people. Conservationists, however, doubt that culling on this scale can be sustained in the long run.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz