ZIMBABWE AUTHORIZES THE SLAUGHTER OF AT LEAST 50 ELEPHANTS

Wildlife officials announced that Zimbabwe has approved the slaughter of at least 50 elephants in a reserve where the elephant population is three times higher than the ecosystem can support.  According to Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority the Save Valley Conservancy in southern Zimbabwe is home to roughly 2,550 elephants, where it has a carrying capacity of 800 elephants.

 Over the past five years the conservancy has relocated 200 elephants to other reserves in an effort to control numbers. Meat from the slaughter will be distributed to local people to eat, while the ivory will be handed over to the park’s authority.

 Zimbabwe has one of the world’s largest elephant population and climate change has intensified human-wildlife conflicts as elephants increasingly venture into populated areas in search of food and water. This follows last year’s authorization to slaughter around 200 elephants, the first such move since 1988. At that time, authorities said the meat would go to communities hit by severe drought, shortly after neighboring Namibia announced similar measures.