Zimbabwe Govt Slaughter 200 Elephants to Feed Citizens Left Hungry by Drought

In a drastic measure to combat acute hunger caused by the worst drought in decades, the government of Zimbabwe has authorized the culling of 200 elephants.

This decision aims to provide much-needed food for nearly half of the country's population, which is currently at risk of severe food insecurity.

Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority, explained the rationale behind this controversial move. "We are targeting to cull 200 elephants," he told CNN, highlighting that Zimbabwe's elephant population stands at over 84,000 almost double the country's capacity of 45,000.

The overpopulation of elephants has led to significant human-wildlife conflict, as these animals venture outside their natural habitats in search of resources like water and greenery.

Zimbabwe's Environment Minister, Sithembiso Nyoni, emphasized the necessity of this action. "Zimbabwe has more elephants than we need and more elephants than our forests can accommodate," she stated. Nyoni further elaborated on the plan, noting that the meat from the culled elephants would be dried and packaged to ensure it reaches communities in dire need of protein.

This measure mirrors a similar initiative in neighboring Namibia, where prolonged drought conditions have also led to the culling of elephants and other wildlife to alleviate food shortages. Both countries are part of a broader crisis affecting southern Africa, where El Niño-induced droughts have severely impacted rainfall and, consequently, food security.