Zimbabwe made the controversial decision to allow the sacrifice of 200 elephants for the first time in 1988, amid serious food shortages caused by a historical sequence. The country's Environment Minister told a recent parliamentary debate that Zimbabwe has “more elephants than it needs.”
The measure is raised to the head in the middle of the worst followed in 40 years, which has caused many crops to be marketed and the things are homeless. According to local information, hunters have been ordered to welcome these animals in areas where conflicts between humans and wildlife have been recorded, such as in Hwange, the mayor reserves the village hunt.
Elephant Meat Consumption Strategy
Zimbabwean authorities plan to follow the example of Namibia, which has already implemented the sacrifice of elephants for human consumption. The elephant meat will be dehydrated, jarred and distributed to communities affected by food shortages. This strategy seeks not only to mitigate the food crisis, but also to manage the elephant population in a controlled manner.
On the other hand, the World Food Programme has indicated that the situation in Zimbabwe is critical, with many areas facing significant food deficits. The situation has left many families without resources, which has led the authorities to consider drastic measures to ensure the subsistence of the population.
Criticisms and concerns
However, the decision has drawn criticism from experts and animal rights advocates. Many argue that selective elephant hunting could tarnish Zimbabwe's international image and deter tourism, a vital sector of the country's economy. Elephant hunting is a sensitive issue in the region, where conservation and tourism are intertwined.
Zimbabwe is home to around 100,000 elephants, the world’s second largest population, surpassed only by Botswana. At a continental level, the World Wildlife Fund estimates that there are around 415,000 elephants in Africa, an alarmingly low figure compared to the three to five million elephants that existed at the beginning of the 20th century. Although elephant populations in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe are classified as “vulnerable,” the situation of Asian and African elephants remains worrying.
Final thoughts
The decision to euthanize elephants in Zimbabwe is a reflection of the complexity of managing natural resources in the midst of a food crisis. As the country faces significant challenges, the balance between wildlife conservation and the need to feed the population is becoming increasingly delicate. Authorities will need to consider not only the immediate implications of this measure, but also its long-term impact on elephant conservation and the tourism economy.
