Source: A Coalition of Groups Joins Forces Against Namibia and Zimbabwe’s Terrifying Wildlife Culling – World Animal News

A coalition of animal welfare and conservation organizations, World Animal News, Peace 4 Animals, Free USA is Born, And Doğan Özgür Foundation, He expresses deep concern over recent announcements by many African countries to cull large numbers of elephants and other species, including in national parks. These actions threaten the survival of these iconic animals and jeopardize the integrity of critical ecosystems.

In late August 2024, Namibia announced plans to slaughter 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants; this number later rose to a staggering 1,002. Shortly thereafter, Zimbabwe followed suit, announcing its intention to kill at least 200 elephants.

These draconian measures are justified under the guise of providing meat to drought-affected communities, relieving pressure on land and water resources, alleviating human-elephant conflict, and supposedly addressing wildlife overpopulation. These excuses mask the devastating impact such mass killings will have on vulnerable species and fragile ecosystems.

But while organizations recognize the severity of one of the worst droughts in South Africa in decades, the killing of large numbers of wild animals cannot be justified for the following reasons:

1. Culling vulnerable wildlife populations to feed humans is unsustainable and cannot provide food security for the millions of people who need food assistance during a prolonged drought. Distributing meat from wild animals can also fuel poaching and illegal wildlife trade.

2. Culling does not solve human-wildlife conflict. On the contrary, it further threatens fragile wildlife populations, disrupts the social structure and stability of wildlife populations (e.g. elephants), traumatizes surviving animals, and can lead to aggression against humans, increasing future conflict.

3. The slaughter of elephants leads to the hoarding of ivory, increasing pressure to undermine international bans on the ivory trade and open ivory markets. We are concerned that Namibia and Zimbabwe are at the forefront of efforts to lift the international ban on ivory trading for revenue. This will inevitably increase demand and increase poaching pressure, with devastating consequences for remaining elephants in all their habitats.

4. The killing of wild animals, which form the basis of the tourism economy, threatens sustainable livelihoods. Tourism is the third largest economic sector in Zimbabwe, contributing US$433 million to the country’s GDP. This industry is heavily dependent on healthy wildlife populations and pristine conservation areas and can be significantly harmed by wildlife culling.

5. Culling elephants is a major policy change. It was carried out in Zimbabwe and South Africa between the mid-1960s and the mid-1990s, but was abandoned after heavy criticism for the cruelty and trauma inflicted on these highly intelligent and social animals.

6. African savanna elephants are classified as Endangered. IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Their population across the continent has declined by at least 60% in the last 50 years. Although South Africa has been less affected by these declines and is home to the largest population of savanna elephants, recent claims of population growth and overpopulation have no scientific basis. Recent research shows that populations in South Africa have remained largely unchanged since 2014.

Wildlife and conservation groups are deeply concerned that proposed culls could ultimately serve the interests of those who seek to profit from the commercial exploitation of these threatened wildlife populations. Additionally, such actions may prioritize financial gain over the protection and conservation of endangered species.

Zimbabwe’s Center for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), Zambia-based African Rivers and South Africa-based Pro Elephant Network have also expressed concern about the proposals.

The current drought affecting parts of Southern Africa is devastating to both people and wildlife. However, governments of relevant countries do not lack the resources to implement effective measures to address the problem and should use the drought as an opportunity to implement stronger land management and prioritize sustainable agricultural production among small farmers in rural areas.

We note that experts suggest a number of rational and sustainable alternatives to the effects of drought, most importantly the provision of basic foodstuffs such as grain to ensure food security. Additionally, there are a wide range of measures and policies that have proven effective in preventing and resolving human-wildlife conflict without resorting to indiscriminate killing of wild animals. These measures need to be researched and implemented.

We call on the governments of these countries to abandon their culling plans. Instead, they should allocate resources to proven, humane and sustainable alternatives that address the challenges facing both people and wildlife.

We also call on donor governments and organizations to link aid provision to the implementation of effective and sustainable measures to ensure food security and human-wildlife coexistence, as well as to protect increasingly threatened wildlife populations.

Here’s a list of organizations coming together to condemn the culling of elephants and wildlife. HERE!