Botswana threatens to send 20,000 elephants to Germany

BBC ^ | April 2, 2024 | Jacqueline Howard

[anthropocene_x]

Earlier this year, Germany's environment ministry suggested there should be stricter limits on importing trophies from hunting animals.

Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi told German media this would only impoverish people in his country. He said elephant numbers had exploded as a result of conservation efforts, and hunting helped keep them in check. Germans should "live together with the animals, in the way you are trying to tell us to", Mr Masisi told German newspaper Bild. Herds were causing damage to property, eating crops and trampling residents, Mr Masisi said.

Germany is the EU's largest importer of African elephant trophies, and hunting trophies overall, according to a 2021 report by the Humane Society International.

Botswana has previously given 8,000 elephants to neighbouring Angola, and has offered hundreds more to Mozambique, as a means of bringing the population down. "We would like to offer such a gift to Germany," Mr Masisi said.

Botswana's Wildlife Minister Dumezweni Mthimkhulu last month threatened to send 10,000 elephants to London's Hyde Park so British people could "have a taste of living alongside" them. In March, UK MPs had voted to support a ban on importing hunting trophies.

[zeugma]

Yes, its cruel to use snares and traps on the animals like some do BUT there’s a lot of damage those elephants do to people living their lives. The affected folk should have the most say over their management. Not those who lecture from 5000 miles away.

Amen.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Most places prefer using hunters who will take out certain animals. Animals that are problems.

A few years back people were having a meltdown over a giraffe being take down by a young female hunter. The animal in question was the dominate bull who had become sterile because of age but was still strong enough to drive off or kill any of the young males who challenged him.

Removing him meant that calves would be born again and the herd would once again be healthy.

The options are trophy hunters that will pay you or professional hunters who you have to pay.

You can guess which one most countries prefer. :)