A GOVERNMENT decision to slaughter 200 elephants threatens conservation efforts and can increase poaching, according to the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG).
Government has revealed plans to cull 200 elephants as part of efforts to tackle a ballooning population of the animal.
According to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, the country’s elephant population has risen to over 90 000, more than twice the 45 000 it can sustain, a situation resulting in recurring cases of human-animal conflict.
The increase in the jumbo population has been blamed on the ban on culling following the promulgation of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species which imposed a global ban on ivory trade.
In a statement, CNRG said slaughtering the elephants did very little to address the drought effects or the conservation cause.
“We fear this is a major policy reversal that defeats excellent conservation work championed by the government and private players over the past four decades,” the statement read.
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“The move has the potential to open floodgates for poaching, especially bearing in mind that the poisoning of elephants and smuggling of ivory has been a continuous challenge over the years.
“CNRG is aware of a thriving illicit ivory market in Asia operated by a web of transnational organised crime actors.”
Currently, the available methods to control animals is through hunts and Problem Animal Control, which communities say has proved not to be effective as seen in rising number of human-wildlife conflict cases.
Early this month, Namibia said it had killed 160 wild animals in a planned cull of more than 700, including 83 elephants, to cope with the worst drought in decades.
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi threatened to send 20 000 elephants to Germany in a dispute over conservation. In Zimbabwe, the government said elephant meat would be distributed to hungry communities.
CNRG, however, argued that it did not believe elephant meat will fill the food deficit gap despite acknowledging the devastating effects of the El Niño-induced drought.
According to the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee, about six million people in the rural areas and 1,7 million in urban areas, more than half the country’s population, will need food assistance between now and the next harvest.
“A robust, well-thought-out and sustainable strategy to feed the hungry population is required,” the CNRG said.
“Appeal for financial assistance to translocate elephants from overpopulated regions to underpopulated regions.”