HARARE, Sept 17 – Zimbabwe is set to cull 200 elephants to help feed communities severely impacted by the worst drought in four decades, according to wildlife authorities.
The El Niño-induced drought has devastated southern Africa, leaving 68 million people across the region facing food shortages. Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks), confirmed the plan. “We can confirm that we are planning to cull about 200 elephants across the country. We are working on modalities on how we are going to do it,” Farawo told Reuters.
The meat from the culled elephants will be distributed to communities affected by the drought, with the operation taking place in Hwange, Mbire, Tsholotsho, and Chiredzi districts. This will be the first elephant cull in Zimbabwe since 1988.
The move follows Namibia’s decision last month to cull 83 elephants to support its drought-affected population. Zimbabwe is home to over 84,000 elephants, while its national parks can only sustain about 55,000. Farawo added, “It’s an effort to decongest the parks in the face of drought.”
Human-wildlife conflicts have increased as resources become scarce. Last year, elephant attacks resulted in 50 deaths in Zimbabwe. The country, praised for its conservation efforts, continues to lobby for permission to trade in ivory and live elephants, with approximately $600,000 worth of ivory stockpiles unsold due to international trade restrictions.
