Following the example of Namibia, Zimbabwe plans to cull 200 elephants to help feed communities hit by severe famine following the worst drought in nearly four decades, according to the country’s wildlife authorities.
Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks), confirmed on September 18, the cull, stating: “We are planning to cull at least 200 elephants across the country,” though specific details are still being finalized.
The culling, Zimbabwe’s first in 36 years, will take place in Hwange, Mbire, Tsholotsho, and Chiredzi districts. The approach mirrors Namibia’s recent strategy, where 83 elephants were culled, and the meat distributed to drought-affected communities.
Zimbabwe is home to over 200,000 elephants within a transboundary conservation area shared with Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia. However, Zimbabwe’s parks are only designed to support 55,000 elephants, and the current population of 84,000 has led to increased human-wildlife conflict. “Fifty people have died from elephant attacks in Zimbabwe,” Farawo noted.
In addition to addressing the overpopulation of elephants, Zimbabwe has been advocating for the reopening of the ivory trade under the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). With a stockpile of ivory valued at over $60 million, the country remains banned from selling it despite its successful conservation efforts.