Zimbabwe has announced plans to cull 200 elephants as part of efforts to combat severe hunger exacerbated by the worst drought in four decades, according to wildlife authorities.
The drought, driven by El Niño, has devastated crops across southern Africa, affecting 68 million people and causing widespread food shortages.
Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks), confirmed the cull, stating, “We are planning to cull around 200 elephants nationwide. We are currently finalizing the details of how this will be carried out.” The meat from the culled elephants will be distributed to drought-stricken communities in Zimbabwe.
This cull, the first since 1988, will occur in Hwange, Mbire, Tsholotsho, and Chiredzi districts. It follows a similar action taken by neighboring Namibia, which culled 83 elephants last month to aid drought-affected populations.
Southern Africa is home to one of the largest elephant populations globally, with over 200,000 elephants spanning Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Angola, and Namibia.
Farawo explained that the culling also aims to alleviate overcrowding in Zimbabwe’s parks, which are designed to sustain about 55,000 elephants, while the country currently hosts over 84,000.
“The culling is a measure to manage park congestion amid the drought. While 200 elephants may seem small compared to the total population of over 84,000, it is necessary,” Farawo said.
The severe drought has heightened human-wildlife conflicts, with 50 people having been killed in elephant attacks last year. Zimbabwe, known for its successful conservation efforts, has been advocating to the U.N.’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to lift restrictions on ivory and live elephant trade. The country holds around $600,000 worth of ivory stockpiles it cannot currently sell.
