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Zimbabwe Mulls Serving Up Elephant Meat to Stop Food Shortages

The government is considering culling its elephant population to address food shortages and combat the effects of an El Niño-induced drought.

Farai Maguwu, Director of the Center for Natural Resource Governance, expressed concerns that the proposal to cull elephants would attract widespread condemnation, much like Namibia's decision. Zimbabwe has about 100,000 elephants with a carrying capacity of about 45,000 and is unable to sell some of the jumbos because of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The country is among five southern African nations heavily impacted by the drought, leaving millions food-insecure. Namibia's decision to cull 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants, to provide food for drought-affected populations was controversial.

InFocus

JackyR/Wikipedia

Young male elephants hang around in bachelor herds in Hwange National Park (file photo).

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