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Zimbabwe’s wildlife authority has announced plans to cull around 200 elephants to provide food for residents suffering from severe hunger due to a devastating drought. The drought, triggered by the El Niño phenomenon, has ravaged crops across southern Africa. In Zimbabwe, the World Food Programme estimates that 7.6 million people will face food insecurity between January and April next year.
The decision to cull the elephants has sparked criticism from conservationists, who argue there are alternative ways to address food shortages. Others have expressed concern, noting that elephants are a major draw for tourism in the country.
Authorities, however, maintain that the culling will also help alleviate overcrowding in Zimbabwe’s parks. A spokesperson for the country’s parks and wildlife authority explained that Zimbabwe is home to over 84,000 elephants, far exceeding the parks’ capacity.
This announcement follows similar measures in neighboring Namibia, where dozens of animals, including 83 elephants, were killed earlier this month in response to the region’s worst drought in decades, with plans to cull more in the coming months.
