Zimbabwe’s wildlife authority has announced that the country will cull 200 elephants as it faces severe drought conditions and food shortages. The decision is also aimed at managing a growing elephant population, which has led to increased human-wildlife conflict.
The country’s environment minister said in parliament on Wednesday that Zimbabwe has “more elephants than it needed,” and the government instructed the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) to begin the culling process. The targeted elephants will be hunted in areas like Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest nature reserve, where elephants have clashed with local communities.
Zimbabwe is home to an estimated 100,000 elephants, the second-largest population in the world after Botswana. Hwange National Park alone hosts 65,000 elephants, four times its capacity, according to ZimParks. The last time Zimbabwe culled elephants was in 1988.
The drought has exacerbated food shortages and is part of a larger crisis affecting southern Africa, where countries like Namibia have also resorted to elephant culling. Namibia recently culled 160 elephants in response to its worst drought in decades.
However, not everyone supports the culling. Critics argue that more sustainable and eco-friendly solutions should be considered to address the drought without harming wildlife tourism; while others argue that culling is necessary to prevent habitat destruction.
