Zimbabwe to cull 200 elephants to feed citizens left hungry by drought

Zimbabwe has authorized a mass slaughter of elephants to feed citizens left hungry by its worst drought in decades.

With nearly half of the country’s population facing the risk of acute hunger, “we are targeting to cull 200 elephants,” Tinashe Farawo, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority, told CNN on Monday.

The move follows a decision in Namibia to cull elephants and other wild animals to relieve food insecurity fueled by a prolonged drought. The culls have drawn criticism from animal rights activists and conservationists.

Zimbabwe is home to more than 84,000 elephants, Farawo said, around double its “capacity of 45,000,” he added.

Related article Namibia plans to kill more than 700 animals including elephants and hippos — and distribute the meat

Environment Minister Sithembiso Nyoni told parliamentarians last week that “Zimbabwe has more elephants than we need and more elephants than our forests can accommodate.”

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