Namibia’s Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism has concluded plans to sell off 170 “high value” wild elephants due to drought and increase in the mammals’ population.
The southern African country, in an advert on state-owned daily New Era, said an increase in incidents of human-elephant conflict motivated the sale of the large mammal that is at risk of extinction due to poaching and ecological factors.
“Due to drought and an increase in elephant numbers, coupled with human-elephant conflict incidents, a need has been identified to reduce these populations,” the advert read on Wednesday.
Interested parties have up to January 29 to make the offer.
The ministry said it would auction the animals to anyone in Namibia or abroad who could meet certain criteria.
The criteria include quarantine facilities; a game-proof fence certificate for the property where the elephants will be kept; foreign buyers must also provide proof that conservation authorities in their countries will permit them to export elephants to their countries; among others.
In October Namibia put 70 female and 30 male buffalos from Waterberg Plateau Park in the central part of the country up for sale in a bid to ease pressure on grazing land.
Interested parties have up to January 29 to make the offer.
Last year, the country authorised the sale of at least 1,000 wild animals that were at risk of dying of starvation as pastures in the country’s parks dried up.
The animals that were up for sale included elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and impala, and were also meant to generate $1.1 million (£820,000) for conservation.