Zimbabwe plans to cull 200 elephants as it faces a severe drought, leading to food shortages and a growing elephant population, according to the country’s wildlife authority. The environment minister stated that Zimbabwe has an excess of elephants and has directed the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) to proceed with the culling, particularly in areas where human-elephant conflict is high, such as Hwange National Park.
Sithembiso Nyoni, the environment minister, mentioned that the government is considering using the cull to provide food to communities in need, following a model similar to Namibia, which recently culled 160 animals due to drought. Zimbabwe, home to around 100,000 elephants—the second-largest population in the world—last carried out an elephant cull in 1988. In Hwange National Park alone, there are 65,000 elephants, more than four times its capacity, according to ZimParks.
Southern Africa has been severely affected by drought, with Zimbabwe and Namibia both declaring states of emergency. About 42% of Zimbabwe’s population lives in poverty, and authorities estimate that around 6 million people will need food assistance during the lean season.
The decision to cull elephants for food has faced criticism, particularly from those concerned about its impact on tourism. Farai Maguwu, director of the Centre for Natural Resource Governance, argued that the government should explore more sustainable, eco-friendly solutions to address the drought without harming tourism, emphasizing that elephants are more valuable alive than dead. He expressed concern over Zimbabwe’s management of natural resources and described the cull as unethical.
On the other hand, conservationist Chris Brown, CEO of the Namibian Chamber of Environment, supported the culling, arguing that unchecked elephant populations can damage ecosystems and harm other species. He criticized what he viewed as Eurocentric conservationist perspectives, asserting that the protection of habitats and less iconic species is just as important.
Namibia’s recent cull of elephants has been condemned by conservationists and animal rights groups like PETA as cruel and shortsighted. However, the Namibian government argued that the cull, which involved 83 elephants, was necessary to ease pressure on the country’s limited grazing and water resources.
