Zimbabwe to Cull 200 Elephants to Feed Hungry Communities Amid Severe Drought

In response to the severe drought that has ravaged southern Africa, Zimbabwean authorities have announced plans to cull 200 elephants to provide food for communities grappling with hunger. The decision comes as the country faces its worst drought in 40 years, exacerbated by El Niño, which has devastated crops and caused widespread food shortages across the region.

Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks), confirmed the plan, stating, “We can confirm that we plan to cull about 200 elephants nationwide. We are working on modalities on how we will do it.” The elephant meat will be distributed to drought-stricken communities, providing a vital source of protein.

The culling is set to take place in Hwange, Mbire, Tsholotsho, and Chiredzi districts. This marks Zimbabwe’s first elephant cull since 1988 and follows a similar move by neighboring Namibia, which recently culled 83 elephants to support communities impacted by drought.

Southern Africa is home to one of the world’s largest elephant populations, with over 200,000 elephants spread across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Angola, and Namibia. Zimbabwe alone hosts more than 84,000 elephants, far exceeding the country’s parks’ carrying capacity of 55,000.

Farawo emphasized that the culling is not only a measure to combat hunger but also an effort to decongest the country’s parks. “We are sitting on plus 84,000 [elephants], and we can only sustain 55,000,” he explained.

The prolonged drought has intensified human-wildlife conflict, with 50 people losing their lives to elephant attacks last year. As resources become scarcer, the situation is expected to worsen.

Zimbabwe, known for its robust conservation efforts, has been lobbying the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to lift restrictions on the trade of ivory and live elephants, hoping to further manage its elephant population while generating revenue for conservation programs.